Job 13

1 Lo! all this mine eye hath seen; Mine ear hath heard and understood it.

“Hey, I [SYN] have seen everything [that you have seen], and I have heard and understood all [that you have said].

2 What ye know, I know also; I am not inferior to you.

What you know, I also know; I do (not know less than/know as much as) you.

3 But O that I might speak with the Almighty! O that I might reason with God!

But I would like to speak to Almighty God, [not to you]; I would like to argue with him [and prove that I (am innocent/have not done things that are wrong]).

4 For ye are forgers of lies; Physicians of no value, all of you!

As for you, you do not allow people to know the truth about me, like someone covers [up a bad surface of a wall] with whitewash [MET]. You are all like doctors [MET] [that give people] useless [medicines].

5 O that ye would altogether hold your peace! This, truly, would be wisdom in you.

I wish/desire that you would be silent; that would be the wisest thing that you [could do].

6 Hear, I pray you, my arguments; Attend to the pleadings of my lips!

Listen to what I will say to you now; listen while I am saying [what is true about myself].

7 Will ye speak falsehood for God? Will ye utter deceit for him?

Are you telling lies about me to prove God [is just in causing me to suffer]? Are you saying what is deceitful in order to benefit him?

8 Will ye be partial to his person? Will ye contend earnestly for God?

Are you trying to defend him? Are you trying to prove [as you would] in a court that he is innocent?

9 Will it be well for you, if he search you thoroughly? Can ye deceive him, as one may deceive a man?

If he looks closely, will he find that everything that you have done is good? Or can you deceive him, like you deceive other people?

10 Surely he will rebuke you, If ye secretly have respect to persons.

If you secretly say/do things to cause God to act favorably toward you, he will surely rebuke you.

11 Doth not his majesty make you afraid, And his dread fall upon you?

He will certainly [RHQ] cause you to be terrified by his power/greatness; you will become extremely afraid.

12 Your maxims are words of dust; Your fortresses are fortresses of clay.

The things that you say [that you think are] wise are [as useless as] [MET] as ashes; what you say to defend your opinions is no better than [MET] clay [that quickly crumbles].

13 Hold your peace, and let me speak: And then come upon me what will!

“So, be quiet and allow me to speak, and then it will not matter what happens to me.

14 Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hand?

I am ready to endure anything; I am [even] willing to risk being executed [IDM, DOU] [for what I will say].

15 Lo! he slayeth me, and I have no hope! Yet will I justify my ways before him.

If God kills me, then I will not have anyone else whom I can confidently expect to help me, but I am going to defend my behavior in his presence [anyway].

16 This also shall be my deliverance; For no unrighteous man will come before him.

No wicked/godless person would dare to stand in the presence of God, [but because I say that I have not done things that are wrong], perhaps, if I can prove that to God, he will save me.”

17 Hear attentively my words, And give ear to my declaration!

“God, listen very carefully to what I say [DOU].

18 Behold, I have now set in order my cause; I know that I am innocent.

I am ready to prove that I am innocent, and I know that you also will declare that I am not guilty.

19 Who is he that can contend with me? For then would I hold my peace, and die!

I certainly do not think [RHQ] that [you or anyone else] will say that what I say is not true; if anyone did that, I would (be silent/stop talking) and die.

20 Only do not unto me two things, Then will I not hide myself from thy presence;

“I am requesting you to do two things for me; if you do them, I will (not hide from you/come and stand in front of you) [LIT].

21 Let not thy hand be heavy upon me, And let not thy terrors make me afraid:

[The first thing that I request is that you] stop punishing [IDM] me; and [the second thing that I request is that you] stop causing me to be very terrified.

22 Then call upon me, and I will answer; Or I will speak, and answer thou me.

You speak [first], and then I will reply; or allow me to speak first, and [then] you reply.

23 How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me to know my faults and transgressions.

What have I done that is wrong? What sins have I committed? Show me how I have disobeyed you.

24 Wherefore dost thou hide thy face, And account me as thine enemy?

Why (do you refuse to be friendly with/have you abandoned) me [IDM]? Why do you (act toward me as though I am/consider me to be) your enemy?

25 Wilt thou put in fear the driven leaf? Wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?

I am [as insignificant as] [MET] a leaf that is blown by the wind; why are you trying to cause me to be afraid [RHQ]? Why are you pursuing me? Am I [useless, nothing more than a bit of] dry chaff [RHQ]?

26 For thou writest bitter things against me, And makest me inherit the sins of my youth.

[It seems that] you are writing things to accuse me [of doing things that are wrong], even recalling bad things that I did when I was young.

27 Yea, thou puttest my feet in the stocks, And waterest all my paths; Thou hemmest in the soles of my feet.

[It is as though] you have fastened my feet with chains [to prevent me from walking], and you watch me wherever I walk; [It is as though] you even look closely at my footprints [to see where I have gone].

28 And I, like an abandoned thing, shall waste away; Like a garment which is moth-eaten.

[As a result], my body is decaying like [SIM] rotten wood, like a piece of cloth that is eaten by [larvae of] moths.”