Job 13
1 Lo, my eye hath seen all this, my ear hath heard and understood it.
“Indeed, my eyes have seen all this; my ears have heard and understood.
2 What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior to you.
What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.
3 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
Yet I desire to speak to the Almighty and argue my case before God.
4 But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.
You, however, smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians.
5 O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.
If only you would remain silent; for that would be your wisdom!
6 Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
Hear now my argument, and listen to the plea of my lips.
7 Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf or speak deceitfully for Him?
8 Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?
Would you show Him partiality or argue in His defense?
9 Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?
Would it be well when He examined you? Could you deceive Him like a man?
10 He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.
Surely He would rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality.
11 Shall not his excellency make you afraid? 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 like ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.
Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.
13 Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.
Be silent, and I will speak. Then let come to me what may.
14 Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand?
Why do I put myself at risk and take my life in my own hands?
15 Though he shall slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will defend my own ways before him.
Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.
16 He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.
Moreover, this will be my salvation, for no godless man can appear before Him.
17 Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.
Listen carefully to my words; let my declaration ring in your ears.
18 Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.
Behold, now that I have prepared my case, I know that I will be vindicated.
19 Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.
Can anyone indict me? If so, I will be silent and die.
20 Only do not two things to me: then will I not hide myself from thee.
Only grant these two things to me, so that I need not hide from You:
21 Withdraw thy hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.
Withdraw Your hand from me, and do not let Your terror frighten me.
22 Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.
Then call me, and I will answer, or let me speak, and You can reply.
23 How many are my iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.
How many are my iniquities and sins? Reveal to me my transgression and sin.
24 Why hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thy enemy?
Why do You hide Your face and consider me as Your enemy?
25 Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
Would You frighten a windblown leaf? Would You chase after dry chaff?
26 For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.
For You record bitter accusations against me and bequeath to me the iniquities of my youth.
27 Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and observest carefully all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.
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, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.
So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment.
