Job 13
1 Lo! all [this], hath mine own eye seen, —Mine ear hath heard and understood it:
See, my eye has seen all this; my ear has heard and understood it.
2 Just as ye know, I too, know, I, fall not short, of you.
What you know, the same I also know; I am not inferior to you.
3 But indeed, I, unto the Almighty, would speak, and, to direct my argument unto GOD, would I be well pleased.
However, I would rather speak with the Almighty; I wish to reason with God.
4 For, in truth, ye, do besmear with falsehood, Worthless physicians, all of you!
But you whitewash the truth with lies; you are all physicians of no value.
5 Oh that ye would, altogether hold your peace, and it should serve you for wisdom!
Oh, that you would altogether hold your peace! That would be your wisdom.
6 Hear, I pray you, the argument of my mouth, and, to the pleadings of my lips, give heed: —
Hear now my own reasoning; listen to the pleading of my own lips.
7 Is it, for God, ye would speak perversely? And, for him, would ye speak deceit:
Will you speak unrighteously for God, and will you talk deceitfully for him?
8 Even, for him, would ye be partial? Or, for GOD, would ye [so] plead?
Will you show him partiality? Will you argue the case 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?
Will it be good for you when he searches you out? Could you deceive him as you might deceive men?
10 He will, severely rebuke, you, if ye are secretly partial.
He would surely reprove you if in secret you showed partiality.
11 Shall not, his majesty, overwhelm you? and, the dread of him, fall upon you?
Will not his majesty terrify you, and the dread of him fall upon you?
12 Are not your memorable sayings, proverbs of ashes? Breastworks of clay, your breastworks?
Your memorable sayings are proverbs made of ashes; your defenses are defenses made of clay.
13 Quietly let me alone, that, I, may speak out, then let come on me, what may.
Hold your peace, let me alone, so that I may speak, let come what may on me.
14 In any case, I will take up my flesh in my teeth, and, my life, will I put in my hand:
I will take my own flesh in my teeth; I will take my life in my hands.
15 Lo! he may slay me, [yet], for him, will I wait, —Nevertheless, my ways—unto his face, will I show to be right:
See, if he kills me, I will have no hope left; nevertheless, I will defend my ways before him.
16 Even he, will be on my side—unto salvation, For, not before his face, shall any impious person come.
This will be the reason for my deliverance, for no godless person would come before him.
17 Hear ye patiently my speech, and be my declaration in your ears.
God, listen carefully to my speech; let my declaration come to your ears.
18 Lo! I pray you, I have set forth in order a plea, I know that, I, shall be found right.
See now, I have set my defense in order; I know that I am innocent.
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 the one who would argue against me in court? If you came to do so, and if I were proved wrong, then I would be silent and give up my life.
20 Only, two things, do thou not with me, then, from thy face, will I not hide me: —
God, do only two things for me, and then I will not hide myself from your face:
21 Thy hand—from off me, take thou far away, and, thy terror, let it not startle me!
withdraw your oppressive hand from me, and do not let your terrors make me afraid.
22 Then call thou, and, I, will answer, Or I will speak, and reply thou unto me.
Then call me, and I will answer; or let me speak to you, and you answer me.
23 How many are mine iniquities and sins? My transgression and my sin, let me know!
How many are my iniquities and sins? 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 from me and treat me like your enemy?
25 A driven leaf, wilt thou cause to tremble? Or, dry stubble, wilt thou pursue?
Will you persecute a driven leaf? Will you pursue dry stubble?
26 For thou writest, against me, bitter things, and dost make me inherit the iniquities of my youth;
For you write down bitter things against me; you make me inherit the 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;
You also put my feet in the stocks; you closely watch all my paths; you examine the ground where the soles of my feet have walked
28 And, a man himself, as a rotten thing, weareth out, as a garment which the moth hath eaten.
although I am like a rotten thing that wastes away, like a garment that moths have eaten.
