Job 13
1 “Behold, my eye has seen all this. My ear has heard and understood it.
Lo! all this mine eye hath seen; Mine ear hath heard and understood it.
2 What you know, I know also. I am not inferior to you.
What ye know, I know also; I am not inferior to you.
3 “Surely I would speak to the Almighty. I desire to reason with God.
But O that I might speak with the Almighty! O that I might reason with God!
4 But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value.
For ye are forgers of lies; Physicians of no value, all of you!
5 Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise.
O that ye would altogether hold your peace! This, truly, would be wisdom in you.
6 Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips.
Hear, I pray you, my arguments; Attend to the pleadings of my lips!
7 Will you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him?
Will ye speak falsehood for God? Will ye utter deceit for him?
8 Will you show partiality to him? Will you contend for God?
Will ye be partial to his person? Will ye contend earnestly for God?
9 Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him?
Will it be well for you, if he search you thoroughly? Can ye deceive him, as one may deceive a man?
10 He will surely reprove you if you secretly show partiality.
Surely he will rebuke you, If ye secretly have respect to persons.
11 Won’t his majesty make you afraid and his dread fall on you?
Doth not his majesty make you afraid, And his dread fall upon you?
12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes. Your defences are defences of clay.
Your maxims are words of dust; Your fortresses are fortresses of clay.
13 “Be silent! Leave me alone, that I may speak. Let come on me what will.
Hold your peace, and let me speak: And then come upon me what will!
14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand?
Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hand?
15 Behold, he will kill me. I have no hope. Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him.
Lo! he slayeth me, and I have no hope! Yet will I justify my ways before him.
16 This also will be my salvation, that a godless man will not come before him.
This also shall be my deliverance; For no unrighteous man will come before him.
17 Listen carefully to my speech. Let my declaration be in your ears.
Hear attentively my words, And give ear to my declaration!
18 See now, I have set my cause in order. I know that I am righteous.
Behold, I have now set in order my cause; I know that I am innocent.
19 Who is he who will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the spirit.
Who is he that can contend with me? For then would I hold my peace, and die!
20 “Only don’t do two things to me, then I will not hide myself from your face:
Only do not unto me two things, Then will I not hide myself from thy presence;
21 withdraw your hand far from me, and don’t let your terror make me afraid.
Let not thy hand be heavy upon me, And let not thy terrors make me afraid:
22 Then call, and I will answer, or let me speak, and you answer me.
Then call upon me, and I will answer; Or I will speak, and answer thou me.
23 How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my disobedience and my sin.
How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me to know my faults and transgressions.
24 Why do you hide your face, and consider me your enemy?
Wherefore dost thou hide thy face, And account me as thine enemy?
25 Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble?
Wilt thou put in fear the driven leaf? Wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
26 For you write bitter things against me, and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
For thou writest bitter things against me, And makest me inherit the sins of my youth.
27 You also put my feet in the stocks, and mark all my paths. You set a bound to the soles of my feet,
Yea, thou puttest my feet in the stocks, And waterest all my paths; Thou hemmest in the soles of my feet.
28 though I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.
And I, like an abandoned thing, shall waste away; Like a garment which is moth-eaten.
