< Job 13 >
1 Lo, all — hath mine eye seen, Heard hath mine ear, and it attendeth to it.
“Indeed, my eyes have seen all this; my ears have heard and understood.
2 According to your knowledge I have known — also I. I am not fallen more than you.
What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.
3 Yet I for the Mighty One do speak, And to argue for God I delight.
Yet I desire to speak to the Almighty and argue my case before God.
4 And yet, ye [are] forgers of falsehood, Physicians of nought — all of you,
You, however, smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians.
5 O that ye would keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom.
If only you would remain silent; for that would be your wisdom!
6 Hear, I pray you, my argument, And to the pleadings of my lips attend,
Hear now my argument, and listen to the plea of my lips.
7 For God do ye speak perverseness? And for Him do ye speak deceit?
Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf or speak deceitfully for Him?
8 His face do ye accept, if for God ye strive?
Would you show Him partiality or argue in His defense?
9 Is [it] good that He doth search you, If, as one mocketh at a man, ye mock at Him?
Would it be well when He examined you? Could you deceive Him like a man?
10 He doth surely reprove you, if in secret ye accept faces.
Surely He would rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality.
11 Doth not His excellency terrify you? And His dread fall upon you?
Would His majesty not terrify you? Would the dread of Him not fall upon you?
12 Your remembrances [are] similes of ashes, For high places of clay your heights.
Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.
13 Keep silent from me, and I speak, And pass over me doth what?
Be silent, and I will speak. Then let come to me what may.
14 Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth? And my soul put in my hand?
Why do I put myself at risk and take my life in my own hands?
15 Lo, He doth slay me — I wait not! Only, my ways unto His face I argue.
Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.
16 Also — He [is] to me for salvation, For the profane cometh not before Him.
Moreover, this will be my salvation, for no godless man can appear before Him.
17 Hear ye diligently my word, And my declaration with your ears.
Listen carefully to my words; let my declaration ring in your ears.
18 Lo, I pray you, I have set in order the cause, I have known that I am righteous.
Behold, now that I have prepared my case, I know that I will be vindicated.
19 Who [is] he that doth strive with me? For now I keep silent and gasp.
Can anyone indict me? If so, I will be silent and die.
20 Only two things, O God, do with me: Then from Thy face I am not hidden.
Only grant these two things to me, so that I need not hide from You:
21 Thy hand put far off from me, And Thy terror let not terrify me.
Withdraw Your hand from me, and do not let Your terror frighten me.
22 And call Thou, and I — I answer, Or — I speak, and answer Thou me.
Then call me, and I will answer, or let me speak, and You can reply.
23 How many iniquities and sins have I? My transgression and my sin let me know.
How many are my iniquities and sins? Reveal to me my transgression and sin.
24 Why dost Thou hide Thy face? And reckonest me for an enemy to Thee?
Why do You hide Your face and consider me as Your enemy?
25 A leaf driven away dost Thou terrify? And the dry stubble dost Thou pursue?
Would You frighten a windblown leaf? Would You chase after dry chaff?
26 For Thou writest against me bitter things, And causest me to possess iniquities of my youth:
For You record bitter accusations against me and bequeath to me the iniquities of my youth.
27 And puttest in the stocks my feet, And observest all my paths, On the roots of my feet Thou settest a print,
You put my feet in the stocks and stand watch over all my paths; You set a limit for the soles of my feet.
28 And he, as a rotten thing, weareth away, As a garment hath a moth consumed him.
So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment.