Job 13
1 Lo, mine eye hath seen all [this], mine ear hath heard and understood it.
Lo, all — hath mine eye seen, Heard hath mine ear, and it attendeth 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 fallen more than you.
3 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
Yet I for the Mighty One do speak, And to argue for God I delight.
4 But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.
And yet, ye [are] forgers of falsehood, Physicians of nought — all of you,
5 Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.
O that ye 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.
Hear, I pray you, my argument, And to the pleadings of my lips attend,
7 Will ye speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him?
For God do ye speak perverseness? And for Him do ye speak deceit?
8 Will ye respect his person? will ye contend for God?
His face do ye accept, if for God ye strive?
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 doth search you, If, as one mocketh at a man, ye mock at Him?
10 He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly respect persons.
He doth surely reprove you, if in secret ye accept faces.
11 Shall not his excellency make you afraid, and his dread fall upon you?
Doth not His excellency terrify you? And His dread fall upon you?
12 Your memorable sayings [are] proverbs of ashes, your defences [are] defences of clay.
Your remembrances [are] similes of ashes, For high places of clay 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 doth what?
14 Wherefore should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?
Wherefore 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.
Lo, He doth slay me — I wait not! Only, my ways unto His face I argue.
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 cometh not before Him.
17 Hear diligently my speech, and let my declaration be in your ears.
Hear ye diligently my word, And my declaration with your ears.
18 Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I am righteous.
Lo, I pray you, I have set in order the cause, 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 doth strive 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 from Thy face I am not hidden.
21 Withdraw thine hand far from me; and let not thy terror make me afraid.
Thy hand put far off from me, And Thy terror let not terrify me.
22 Then call thou, and I will answer; or let me speak, and answer thou me.
And call Thou, and I — I answer, Or — I speak, and answer Thou me.
23 How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.
How many iniquities and sins have I? My transgression and my sin let me know.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?
Why dost Thou hide Thy face? And reckonest me for an enemy to Thee?
25 Wilt thou harass a driven leaf? and wilt thou pursue the dry 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 inherit 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 feet also in the stocks, and markest all my paths; thou drawest thee a line about the soles 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 Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, like a garment that is moth-eaten.
And he, as a rotten thing, weareth away, As a garment hath a moth consumed him.
