Job 13
1 See, my eye has seen all this; my ear has heard and understood it.
Lo, all — hath mine eye seen, Heard hath mine ear, and it attendeth 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 fallen more than you.
3 However, I would rather speak with the Almighty; I wish to reason with God.
Yet I for the Mighty One do speak, And to argue for God I delight.
4 But you whitewash the truth with lies; you are all physicians of no value.
And yet, ye [are] forgers of falsehood, Physicians of nought — all of you,
5 Oh, that you would altogether hold your peace! That would be your wisdom.
O that ye 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.
Hear, I pray you, my argument, And to the pleadings of my lips attend,
7 Will you speak unrighteously for God, and will you talk deceitfully for him?
For God do ye speak perverseness? And for Him do ye speak deceit?
8 Will you show him partiality? Will you argue the case for God?
His face do ye accept, if for God ye strive?
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 doth search you, If, as one mocketh at a man, ye mock at Him?
10 He would surely reprove you if in secret you showed partiality.
He doth surely reprove you, if in secret ye accept faces.
11 Will not his majesty terrify you, and the dread of him fall upon you?
Doth not His excellency terrify you? And His dread fall upon you?
12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs made of ashes; your defenses are defenses made of clay.
Your remembrances [are] similes of ashes, For high places of clay 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 doth what?
14 I will take my own flesh in my teeth; I will take my life in my hands.
Wherefore 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.
Lo, He doth slay me — I wait not! Only, my ways unto His face I argue.
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 cometh not before Him.
17 God, listen carefully to my speech; let my declaration come to your ears.
Hear ye diligently my word, And my declaration with your ears.
18 See now, I have set my defense in order; I know that I am innocent.
Lo, I pray you, I have set in order the cause, 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 doth strive 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 from Thy face I am not hidden.
21 withdraw your oppressive hand from me, and do not let your terrors make me afraid.
Thy hand put far off from me, And Thy terror let not terrify me.
22 Then call me, and I will answer; or let me speak to you, and you answer me.
And call Thou, and I — I answer, Or — I speak, and answer Thou me.
23 How many are my iniquities and sins? Let me know my transgression and my sin.
How many iniquities and sins have I? My transgression and my sin let me know.
24 Why do you hide your face from me and treat me like your enemy?
Why dost Thou hide Thy face? And reckonest me for an enemy to Thee?
25 Will you persecute a driven leaf? Will you pursue dry stubble?
A leaf driven away dost Thou terrify? And the dry stubble dost Thou pursue?
26 For you write down bitter things against me; you make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
For Thou writest against me bitter things, And causest 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 puttest in the stocks my feet, And observest all my paths, On the roots of my feet Thou settest a print,
28 although I am like a rotten thing that wastes away, like a garment that moths have eaten.
And he, as a rotten thing, weareth away, As a garment hath a moth consumed him.
