Job 13
1 Lo, mine eye hath seen all [this], mine ear hath heard and understood it.
“Behold, my eye has seen all, My ear has heard, and it attends to it.
2 What ye know, [the same] do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.
According to your knowledge I have known—also I. I am not more fallen than you.
3 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
Yet I speak for the Mighty One, And I delight to argue for God.
4 But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.
And yet, you [are] forgers of falsehood, Physicians of nothing—all of you,
5 Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.
O that you would keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom.
6 Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
Please hear my argument, And attend to the pleadings of my lips,
7 Will ye speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him?
Do you speak perverseness for God? And do you speak deceit for Him?
8 Will ye respect his person? will ye contend for God?
Do you accept His face, if you strive for God?
9 Is it good that he should search you out? or as one deceiveth a man, will ye deceive him?
Is [it] good that He searches you, If, as one mocks at a man, you mock at Him?
10 He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly respect persons.
He surely reproves you, if you accept faces in secret.
11 Shall not his excellency make you afraid, and his dread fall upon you?
Does His excellence not terrify you? And His dread fall on you?
12 Your memorable sayings [are] proverbs of ashes, your defences [are] defences of clay.
Your remembrances [are] allegories of ashes, For high places of clay [are] your heights.
13 Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what wilt.
Keep silent from me, and I speak, And pass over me what will.
14 Wherefore should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?
Why do I take my flesh in my teeth? And my soul put in my hand?
15 Though he slay me, yet will I wait for him: nevertheless I will maintain my ways before him.
Behold, He slays me—I do not wait! Only, I argue my ways to His face.
16 This also shall be my salvation; for a godless man shall not come before him.
Also—He [is] to me for salvation, For the profane do not come before Him.
17 Hear diligently my speech, and let my declaration be in your ears.
Hear my word diligently, And my declaration with your ears.
18 Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I am righteous.
Now behold, I have set the cause in order, I have known that I am righteous.
19 Who is he that will contend with me? for now shall I hold my peace and give up the ghost.
Who [is] he that strives with me? For now I keep silent and gasp.
20 Only do not two things unto me, then will I not hide myself from thy face:
Only two things, O God, do with me, Then I am not hidden from Your face:
21 Withdraw thine hand far from me; and let not thy terror make me afraid.
Put Your hand far off from me, And do not let Your terror terrify me.
22 Then call thou, and I will answer; or let me speak, and answer thou me.
And You call, and I answer, Or—I speak, and You answer me.
23 How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.
How many iniquities and sins do I have? Let me know my transgression and my sin.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?
Why do You hide Your face? And reckon me for an enemy to You?
25 Wilt thou harass a driven leaf? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
Do You terrify a leaf driven away? And do You pursue the dry stubble?
26 For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to inherit the iniquities of my youth:
For You write bitter things against me, And cause me to possess iniquities of my youth,
27 Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and markest all my paths; thou drawest thee a line about the soles of my feet:
And you put my feet in the stocks, And observe all my paths—You set a print on the roots of my feet,
28 Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, like a garment that is moth-eaten.
And he, as a rotten thing, wears away, A moth has consumed him as a garment.”
