Job Says His Friends’ Proverbs Are Ashes

1 “aBehold, my eye has seen all this,

My ear has heard and understood it.

2 “aWhat you know I also know;

I am not inferior to you.

3 “But aI would speak to 1the Almighty,

And I desire to bargue with God.

4 “But you asmear with lies;

You are all bworthless physicians.

5 “O that you would abe completely silent,

And that it would become your wisdom!

6 “Please hear my argument

And listen to the contentions of my lips.

7 “Will you aspeak what is unjust for God,

And speak what is deceitful for Him?

8 “Will you ashow partiality for Him?

Will you contend for God?

9 “Will it be well when He examines you?

Or awill you deceive Him as one deceives a man?

10 “He will surely reprove you

If you secretly ashow partiality.

11 “Will not aHis 1majesty terrify you,

And the dread of Him fall on you?

12 “Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,

Your defenses are defenses of clay.

Job Is Sure He Will Be Vindicated

13 “aBe silent before me so that I may speak;

Then let come on me what may.

14 “Why should I take my flesh in my teeth

And aput my life in my 1hands?

15 “aThough He slay me,

I will hope in Him.

Nevertheless I bwill argue my ways 1before Him.

16 “This also will be my asalvation,

For ba godless man may not come before His presence.

17 “Listen carefully to my speech,

And let my declaration fill your ears.

18 “Behold now, I have aprepared my case;

I know that bI will be vindicated.

19 “aWho will contend with me?

For then I would be silent and bdie.

20 “Only two things do not do to me,

Then I will not hide from Your face:

21 aRemove Your 1hand from me,

And let not the dread of You terrify me.

22 “Then call, and aI will answer;

Or let me speak, then reply to me.

23 “aHow many are my iniquities and sins?

Make known to me my 1rebellion and my sin.

24 “Why do You ahide Your face

And consider me bYour enemy?

25 “Will You cause a adriven leaf to tremble?

Or will You pursue the dry bchaff?

26 “For You write abitter things against me

And bmake me to inherit the iniquities of my youth.

27 “You aput my feet in the stocks

And watch all my paths;

You 1set a limit for the soles of my feet,

28 While 1I am decaying like a arotten thing,

Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Chapter 14

Job Speaks of the Finality of Death

1 “aMan, who is born of woman,

Is 1short-lived and bfull of turmoil.

2 “aLike a flower he comes forth and withers.

He also flees like ba shadow and does not remain.

3 “You also aopen Your eyes on him

And bbring 1him into judgment with Yourself.

4 “aWho can make the clean out of the unclean?

No one!

5 “Since his days are determined,

The anumber of his months is with You;

And his limits You have 1set so that he cannot pass.

6 “aTurn Your gaze from him that he may 1rest,

Until he 2fulfills his day like a hired man.

7 “For there is hope for a tree,

When it is cut down, that it will sprout again,

And its shoots will not 1fail.

8 “Though its roots grow old in the ground

And its stump dies in the dry soil,

9 At the scent of water it will flourish

And put forth sprigs like a plant.

10 “But aman dies and lies prostrate.

Man bexpires, and where is he?

11 “As awater 1evaporates from the sea,

And a river becomes parched and dried up,

12 So aman lies down and does not rise.

Until the heavens are no longer,

1He will not awake nor be aroused out of 2his sleep.

13 “Oh that You would hide me in 1Sheol,

That You would conceal me auntil Your wrath returns to You,

That You would set a limit for me and remember me!

14 “If a man dies, will he live again?

All the days of my struggle I will wait

Until my change comes.

15 “You will call, and I will answer You;

You will long for athe work of Your hands.

16 “For now You anumber my steps,

You do not bobserve my sin.

17 “My transgression is asealed up in a bag,

And You 1wrap up my iniquity.

18 “But the falling mountain 1crumbles away,

And the rock moves from its place;

19 Water wears away stones,

Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth;

So You adestroy man’s hope.

20 “You forever overpower him and he adeparts;

You change his appearance and send him away.

21 “His sons achieve honor, but ahe does not know it;

Or they become insignificant, but he does not perceive it.

22 “But his 1body pains him,

And he mourns only for himself.”