Job 13
1 “Behold, my eye has seen all, My ear has heard, and it attends to it.
Truly, my eye has seen all this, word of it has come to my ear, and I have knowledge of it.
2 According to your knowledge I have known—also I. I am not more fallen than you.
The same things are in my mind as in yours; I am equal to you.
3 Yet I speak for the Mighty One, And I delight to argue for God.
But I would have talk with the Ruler of all, and my desire is to have an argument with God.
4 And yet, you [are] forgers of falsehood, Physicians of nothing—all of you,
But you put a false face on things; all your attempts to put things right are of no value.
5 O that you would keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom.
If only you would keep quiet, it would be a sign of wisdom!
6 Please hear my argument, And attend to the pleadings of my lips,
Give ear to the argument of my mouth, and take note of the words of my lips.
7 Do you speak perverseness for God? And do you speak deceit for Him?
Will you say in God's name what is not right, and put false words into his mouth?
8 Do you accept His face, if you strive for God?
Will you have respect for God's person in this cause, and put yourselves forward as his supporters?
9 Is [it] good that He searches you, If, as one mocks at a man, you mock at Him?
Will it be good for you to be searched out by him, or have you the thought that he may be guided into error like a man?
10 He surely reproves you, if you accept faces in secret.
He will certainly put you right, if you have respect for persons in secret.
11 Does His excellence not terrify you? And His dread fall on you?
Will not his glory put you in fear, so that your hearts will be overcome before him?
12 Your remembrances [are] allegories of ashes, For high places of clay [are] your heights.
Your wise sayings are only dust, and your strong places are only earth.
13 Keep silent from me, and I speak, And pass over me what will.
Keep quiet, and let me say what is in my mind, whatever may come to me.
14 Why do I take my flesh in my teeth? And my soul put in my hand?
I will take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand.
15 Behold, He slays me—I do not wait! Only, I argue my ways to His face.
Truly, he will put an end to me; I have no hope; but I will not give way in argument before him;
16 Also—He [is] to me for salvation, For the profane do not come before Him.
And that will be my salvation, for an evil-doer would not come before him,
17 Hear my word diligently, And my declaration with your ears.
Give ear with care to my words, and keep what I say in your minds.
18 Now behold, I have set the cause in order, I have known that I am righteous.
See now, I have put my cause in order, and I am certain that I will be seen to be right.
19 Who [is] he that strives with me? For now I keep silent and gasp.
Is any one able to take up the argument against me? If so, I would keep quiet and give up my breath.
20 Only two things, O God, do with me, Then I am not hidden from Your face:
Only two things do not do to me, then I will come before your face:
21 Put Your hand far off from me, And do not let Your terror terrify me.
Take your hand far away from me; and let me not be overcome by fear of you.
22 And You call, and I answer, Or—I speak, and You answer me.
Then at the sound of your voice I will give answer; or let me put forward my cause for you to give me an answer.
23 How many iniquities and sins do I have? Let me know my transgression and my sin.
What is the number of my evil-doings and my sins? give me knowledge of them.
24 Why do You hide Your face? And reckon me for an enemy to You?
Why is your face veiled from me, as if I was numbered among your haters?
25 Do You terrify a leaf driven away? And do You pursue the dry stubble?
Will you be hard on a leaf in flight before the wind? will you make a dry stem go more quickly on its way?
26 For You write bitter things against me, And cause me to possess iniquities of my youth,
For you put bitter things on record against me, and send punishment on me for the sins of my early years;
27 And you put my feet in the stocks, And observe all my paths—You set a print on the roots of my feet,
And you put chains on my feet, watching all my ways, and making a limit for my steps;
28 And he, as a rotten thing, wears away, A moth has consumed him as a garment.”
Though a man comes to nothing like a bit of dead wood, or like a robe which has become food for the worm.
