Job 13
1 Lo! all [this], hath mine own eye seen, —Mine ear hath heard and understood it:
“Behold, my eye has seen all, My ear has heard, and it attends to it.
2 Just as ye know, I too, know, I, fall not short, of you.
According to your knowledge I have known—also I. I am not more fallen than you.
3 But indeed, I, unto the Almighty, would speak, and, to direct my argument unto GOD, would I be well pleased.
Yet I speak for the Mighty One, And I delight to argue for God.
4 For, in truth, ye, do besmear with falsehood, Worthless physicians, all of you!
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 serve you for wisdom!
O that you would keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom.
6 Hear, I pray you, the argument of my mouth, and, to the pleadings of my lips, give heed: —
Please hear my argument, And attend to the pleadings of my lips,
7 Is it, for God, ye would speak perversely? And, for him, would ye speak deceit:
Do you speak perverseness for God? And do you speak deceit for Him?
8 Even, for him, would ye be partial? Or, for GOD, would ye [so] plead?
Do you accept His face, if you strive for God?
9 Would it be well, when he searched you out? Or, as one might jest with a mortal, would ye jest, with him?
Is [it] good that He searches you, If, as one mocks at a man, you mock at Him?
10 He will, severely rebuke, you, if ye are secretly partial.
He surely reproves you, if you accept faces in secret.
11 Shall not, his majesty, overwhelm you? and, the dread of him, fall upon you?
Does His excellence not terrify you? And His dread fall on you?
12 Are not your memorable sayings, proverbs of ashes? Breastworks of clay, your breastworks?
Your remembrances [are] allegories of ashes, For high places of clay [are] your heights.
13 Quietly let me alone, that, I, may speak out, then let come on me, what may.
Keep silent from me, and I speak, And pass over me what will.
14 In any case, I will take up my flesh in my teeth, and, my life, will I put in my hand:
Why do I take my flesh in my teeth? And my soul put in my hand?
15 Lo! he may slay me, [yet], for him, will I wait, —Nevertheless, my ways—unto his face, will I show to be right:
Behold, He slays me—I do not wait! Only, I argue my ways to His face.
16 Even he, will be on my side—unto salvation, For, not before his face, shall any impious person come.
Also—He [is] to me for salvation, For the profane do not come before Him.
17 Hear ye patiently my speech, and be my declaration in your ears.
Hear my word diligently, And my declaration with your ears.
18 Lo! I pray you, I have set forth in order a plea, I know that, I, shall be found right.
Now behold, I have set the cause in order, I have known that I am righteous.
19 Who is it that shall contend with me? For, now, if I should hold my peace, why! I should breathe my last!
Who [is] he that strives with me? For now I keep silent and gasp.
20 Only, two things, do thou not with me, then, from thy face, will I not hide me: —
Only two things, O God, do with me, Then I am not hidden from Your face:
21 Thy hand—from off me, take thou far away, and, thy terror, let it not startle me!
Put Your hand far off from me, And do not let Your terror terrify me.
22 Then call thou, and, I, will answer, Or I will speak, and reply thou unto me.
And You call, and I answer, Or—I speak, and You answer me.
23 How many are mine iniquities and sins? My transgression and my sin, let me know!
How many iniquities and sins do I have? Let me know my transgression and my sin.
24 Wherefore, thy face, shouldst thou hide? Or count me, as an enemy to thee?
Why do You hide Your face? And reckon me for an enemy to You?
25 A driven leaf, wilt thou cause to tremble? Or, dry stubble, wilt thou pursue?
Do You terrify a leaf driven away? And do You pursue the dry stubble?
26 For thou writest, against me, bitter things, and dost make me inherit the iniquities of my youth;
For You write bitter things against me, And cause me to possess iniquities of my youth,
27 And thou dost put—in the stocks—my feet, and observest all my paths, Against the roots of my feet, thou dost cut out a bound;
And you put my feet in the stocks, And observe all my paths—You set a print on the roots of my feet,
28 And, a man himself, as a rotten thing, weareth out, as a garment which the moth hath eaten.
And he, as a rotten thing, wears away, A moth has consumed him as a garment.”
