Job 13
1 Loe, mine eye hath seene all this: mine eare hath heard, and vnderstande it.
Lo, all — hath mine eye seen, Heard hath mine ear, and it attendeth to it.
2 I knowe also as much as you knowe: I am not inferiour vnto you.
According to your knowledge I have known — also I. I am not fallen more than you.
3 But I will speake to the Almightie, and I desire to dispute with God.
Yet I for the Mighty One do speak, And to argue for God I delight.
4 For in deede ye forge lyes, and all you are physitions of no value.
And yet, ye [are] forgers of falsehood, Physicians of nought — all of you,
5 Oh, that you woulde holde your tongue, that it might be imputed to you for wisedome!
O that ye would keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom.
6 Nowe heare my disputation, and giue eare to the arguments of my lips.
Hear, I pray you, my argument, And to the pleadings of my lips attend,
7 Will ye speake wickedly for Gods defence, and talke deceitfully for his cause?
For God do ye speak perverseness? And for Him do ye speak deceit?
8 Will ye accept his person? or will ye contende for God?
His face do ye accept, if for God ye strive?
9 Is it well that he shoulde seeke of you? will you make a lye for him, as one lyeth for a man?
Is [it] good that He doth search you, If, as one mocketh at a man, ye mock at Him?
10 He will surely reprooue you, if ye doe secretly accept any person.
He doth surely reprove you, if in secret ye accept faces.
11 Shall not his excellencie make you afraid? and his feare fall vpon you?
Doth not His excellency terrify you? And His dread fall upon you?
12 Your memories may be compared vnto ashes, and your bodyes to bodyes of clay.
Your remembrances [are] similes of ashes, For high places of clay your heights.
13 Holde your tongues in my presence, that I may speake, and let come vpon what will.
Keep silent from me, and I speak, And pass over me doth what?
14 Wherefore doe I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my soule in mine hande?
Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth? And my soul put in my hand?
15 Loe, though he slay me, yet will I trust in him, and I will reprooue my wayes in his sight.
Lo, He doth slay me — I wait not! Only, my ways unto His face I argue.
16 He shalbe my saluation also: for the hypocrite shall not come before him.
Also — He [is] to me for salvation, For the profane cometh not before Him.
17 Heare diligently my wordes, and marke my talke.
Hear ye diligently my word, And my declaration with your ears.
18 Beholde nowe: if I prepare me to iudgement, I knowe that I shalbe iustified.
Lo, I pray you, I have set in order the cause, I have known that I am righteous.
19 Who is he, that will pleade with me? for if I nowe holde my tongue, I dye.
Who [is] he that doth strive with me? For now I keep silent and gasp.
20 But doe not these two things vnto me: then will I not hide my selfe from thee.
Only two things, O God, do with me: Then from Thy face I am not hidden.
21 Withdrawe thine hande from me, and let not thy feare make me afraide.
Thy hand put far off from me, And Thy terror let not terrify me.
22 Then call thou, and I will answere: or let me speake, and answere thou me.
And call Thou, and I — I answer, Or — I speak, and answer Thou me.
23 Howe many are mine iniquities and sinnes? shewe me my rebellion, and my sinne.
How many iniquities and sins have I? My transgression and my sin let me know.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and takest me for thine enemie?
Why dost Thou hide Thy face? And reckonest me for an enemy to Thee?
25 Wilt thou breake a leafe driuen to and from? and wilt thou pursue the drie stubble?
A leaf driven away dost Thou terrify? And the dry stubble dost Thou pursue?
26 For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth.
For Thou writest against me bitter things, And causest me to possess iniquities of my youth:
27 Thou puttest my feete also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly vnto all my pathes, and makest the print thereof in ye heeles of my feet.
And puttest in the stocks my feet, And observest all my paths, On the roots of my feet Thou settest a print,
28 Such one consumeth like a rotten thing, and as a garment that is motheaten.
And he, as a rotten thing, weareth away, As a garment hath a moth consumed him.
