Job 13
1 See, my eye has seen all this; my ear has heard and understood it.
“Behold, my eye has seen all, My ear has heard, and it attends to it.
2 What you know, the same I also know; I am not inferior to you.
According to your knowledge I have known—also I. I am not more fallen than you.
3 However, I would rather speak with the Almighty; I wish to reason with God.
Yet I speak for the Mighty One, And I delight to argue for God.
4 But you whitewash the truth with lies; you are all physicians of no value.
And yet, you [are] forgers of falsehood, Physicians of nothing—all of you,
5 Oh, that you would altogether hold your peace! That would be your wisdom.
O that you would keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom.
6 Hear now my own reasoning; listen to the pleading of my own lips.
Please hear my argument, And attend to the pleadings of my lips,
7 Will you speak unrighteously for God, and will you talk deceitfully for him?
Do you speak perverseness for God? And do you speak deceit for Him?
8 Will you show him partiality? Will you argue the case for God?
Do you accept His face, if you strive for God?
9 Will it be good for you when he searches you out? Could you deceive him as you might deceive men?
Is [it] good that He searches you, If, as one mocks at a man, you mock at Him?
10 He would surely reprove you if in secret you showed partiality.
He surely reproves you, if you accept faces in secret.
11 Will not his majesty terrify you, and the dread of him fall upon you?
Does His excellence not terrify you? And His dread fall on you?
12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs made of ashes; your defenses are defenses made of clay.
Your remembrances [are] allegories of ashes, For high places of clay [are] your heights.
13 Hold your peace, let me alone, so that I may speak, let come what may on me.
Keep silent from me, and I speak, And pass over me what will.
14 I will take my own flesh in my teeth; I will take my life in my hands.
Why do I take my flesh in my teeth? And my soul put in my hand?
15 See, if he kills me, I will have no hope left; nevertheless, I will defend my ways before him.
Behold, He slays me—I do not wait! Only, I argue my ways to His face.
16 This will be the reason for my deliverance, for no godless person would come before him.
Also—He [is] to me for salvation, For the profane do not come before Him.
17 God, listen carefully to my speech; let my declaration come to your ears.
Hear my word diligently, And my declaration with your ears.
18 See now, I have set my defense in order; I know that I am innocent.
Now behold, I have set the cause in order, I have known that I am righteous.
19 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.
Who [is] he that strives with me? For now I keep silent and gasp.
20 God, do only two things for me, and then I will not hide myself from your face:
Only two things, O God, do with me, Then I am not hidden from Your face:
21 withdraw your oppressive hand from me, and do not let your terrors make me afraid.
Put Your hand far off from me, And do not let Your terror terrify me.
22 Then call me, and I will answer; or let me speak to you, and you answer me.
And You call, and I answer, Or—I speak, and You answer me.
23 How many are my iniquities and sins? Let me know my transgression and my sin.
How many iniquities and sins do I have? Let me know my transgression and my sin.
24 Why do you hide your face from me and treat me like your enemy?
Why do You hide Your face? And reckon me for an enemy to You?
25 Will you persecute a driven leaf? Will you pursue dry stubble?
Do You terrify a leaf driven away? And do You pursue the dry stubble?
26 For you write down bitter things against me; you 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 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
And you put my feet in the stocks, And observe all my paths—You set a print on the roots of my feet,
28 although I am like a rotten thing that wastes away, like a garment that moths have eaten.
And he, as a rotten thing, wears away, A moth has consumed him as a garment.”
