Job 13
1 Lo, all — hath mine eye seen, Heard hath mine ear, and it attendeth to it.
“Behold, my eye has seen all this. My ear has heard and understood it.
2 According to your knowledge I have known — also I. I am not fallen more than you.
What you know, I know also. I am not inferior to you.
3 Yet I for the Mighty One do speak, And to argue for God I delight.
“Surely I would speak to the Almighty. I desire to reason with God.
4 And yet, ye [are] forgers of falsehood, Physicians of nought — all of you,
But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value.
5 O that ye would keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom.
Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise.
6 Hear, I pray you, my argument, And to the pleadings of my lips attend,
Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips.
7 For God do ye speak perverseness? And for Him do ye speak deceit?
Will you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him?
8 His face do ye accept, if for God ye strive?
Will you show partiality to him? Will you contend for God?
9 Is [it] good that He doth search you, If, as one mocketh at a man, ye mock at Him?
Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him?
10 He doth surely reprove you, if in secret ye accept faces.
He will surely reprove you if you secretly show partiality.
11 Doth not His excellency terrify you? And His dread fall upon you?
Won’t his majesty make you afraid and his dread fall on you?
12 Your remembrances [are] similes of ashes, For high places of clay your heights.
Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes. Your defences are defences of clay.
13 Keep silent from me, and I speak, And pass over me doth what?
“Be silent! Leave me alone, that I may speak. Let come on me what will.
14 Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth? And my soul put in my hand?
Why should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand?
15 Lo, He doth slay me — I wait not! Only, my ways unto His face I argue.
Behold, he will kill me. I have no hope. Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him.
16 Also — He [is] to me for salvation, For the profane cometh not before Him.
This also will be my salvation, that a godless man will not come before him.
17 Hear ye diligently my word, And my declaration with your ears.
Listen carefully to my speech. Let my declaration be in your ears.
18 Lo, I pray you, I have set in order the cause, I have known that I am righteous.
See now, I have set my cause in order. I know that I am righteous.
19 Who [is] he that doth strive with me? For now I keep silent and gasp.
Who is he who will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the spirit.
20 Only two things, O God, do with me: Then from Thy face I am not hidden.
“Only don’t do two things to me, then I will not hide myself from your face:
21 Thy hand put far off from me, And Thy terror let not terrify me.
withdraw your hand far from me, and don’t let your terror make me afraid.
22 And call Thou, and I — I answer, Or — I speak, and answer Thou me.
Then call, and I will answer, or let me speak, and you answer me.
23 How many iniquities and sins have I? My transgression and my sin let me know.
How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my disobedience and my 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 your enemy?
25 A leaf driven away dost Thou terrify? And the dry stubble dost Thou pursue?
Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble?
26 For Thou writest against me bitter things, And causest me to possess iniquities of my youth:
For you write bitter things against me, and make me inherit 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 also put my feet in the stocks, and mark all my paths. You set a bound to the soles of my feet,
28 And he, as a rotten thing, weareth away, As a garment hath a moth consumed him.
though I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.
