< Job 13 >

1 Lo, all [this] hath my eye seen, my ear hath heard and noted it for itself;
Lo, mine eye hath seen all [this], mine ear hath heard and understood it.
2 As much as ye know, do I also know: I do not fall short compared with you.
What ye know, [the same] do I know also: I [am] not inferior unto you.
3 However, I would gladly speak to the Almighty; and to argue with God do I desire.
Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
4 But ye are inventors of falsehood, physicians of no value are all of you.
But ye [are] forgers of lies, ye [are] all physicians of no value.
5 Oh, who would grant that ye might keep a profound silences! and it would he accounted unto you as wisdom.
O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.
6 Do hearken but to my reasoning, and listen to the pleadings of my lips.
Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
7 Will ye speak wrong things for God? and will ye speak for him deceitfully?
Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
8 Will ye show him undue favor, when ye contend for God?
Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?
9 Will it be well if he should search you out? or as one overreacheth another mortal, do ye expect to overreach him?
Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye [so] mock him?
10 He will surely reprove you, if in secret you show him undue favor.
He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.
11 Doth not his excellency terrify you? and his dread fall upon you?
Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?
12 The things you remember are mere proverbs of ashes, your high-places are high-places of clay.
Your remembrances [are] like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.
13 Keep silence toward me, that I may indeed speak, and let pass over me what will.
Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what [will].
14 Whatever it may cost, I will take my flesh in my teeth, and my life will I put in my hand.
Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?
15 Lo, though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: only I will argue my own ways before him.
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
16 Even he will come to my assistance; for a hypocrite cannot come before him.
He also [shall be] my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.
17 Listen well to my word, and to my demonstration with your ears.
Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.
18 Behold now, I have arrayed my cause: I know that I shall be indeed justified.
Behold now, I have ordered [my] cause; I know that I shall be justified.
19 Who is he that will contend with me? for now, if I keep silence, I must perish.
Who [is] he [that] will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.
20 Only two things do not unto me: then will I not hide myself from thy presence.
Only do not two [things] unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.
21 Remove thy hand far from me; and let not thy dread terrify me.
Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.
22 Then call thou, and I will answer; or let me speak, and do thou reply to me.
Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.
23 How many are my iniquities and sins? my transgression and my sin let me know.
How many [are] mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.
24 Wherefore wilt thou hide thy face, and regard me as an enemy unto thee?
Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?
25 Wilt thou terrify a leaf driven about [by the wind]? and wilt thou pursue dry stubble?
Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
26 That thou writest bitter decrees against me, and assignest unto me the iniquities of my youth;
For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.
27 And [that] thou puttest my feet in the stocks, and watchest narrowly all my paths; [and] settest for thyself a mark upon the soles of my feet?
Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.
28 And yet the body decayeth like a rotten thing, as a garment that the moth hath eaten.
And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.

< Job 13 >