Job 13

Job’s Fourth Speech Continues

13“Look, my eye has seen everything;

my ear has heard and has understood it.

²What you^a know,^b I myself^c also know—

I am not more inferior than you.^d

³But I would speak to Shaddai,

and I desire to argue with God.

⁴“But^e you^f whitewash with lies;^g

all of you^h are worthless healers.ⁱ

⁵O that^j you^k would keep completely silent,

and that it would become wisdom for you.^l

⁶Please hear my argument,

and listen attentively to the pleadings of my lips.

⁷“Will you^m speak falsely for God?

And will youⁿ speak deceitfully for him?

⁸Will you^o show partiality for him?^p

Or do you^q want to plead God’s case?

⁹Will it be well, if he examines you?^r

Or can you^s deceive him like deceiving a human being?

¹⁰“Surely he will rebuke you^t

if you^u show partiality^v in secret.

¹¹Will not his majesty terrify you,^w

and his dread fall upon you?^x

¹²Your^y maxims are proverbs of ashes;

your^z defenses are defenses of clay.

¹³“Let me have silence,^a and I myself^b will speak,

and let come over me whatever may.

¹⁴Why should I take my flesh in my teeth

and^c put^d my life in my hand?

¹⁵Look,^e though he kill me, I will hope in^f him;

however, I will defend my ways before him.^g

¹⁶Moreover, this is salvation to me,

that the godless would not come before him.^h

¹⁷“Listen carefully to my words,

and let my exposition be in your ears.

¹⁸Please look,ⁱ I have prepared my case;

I know that I myself^j will be vindicated.

¹⁹Who is he who will contend with me?

For then I would be silent, and I would pass away.

Job Argues His Case with God

²⁰“Only you^k must not do these two things to me;

then I will not hide from your face:

²¹withdraw your^l hand from me,

and let not your^m dread terrify me.

²²Thenⁿ call, and I myself^o will answer;

or let me speak, then^p reply to me.

²³“How many^q are my iniquities and sins?

Make known to me my transgression and my sin.

²⁴Why do you^r hide your^s face

and count me as your^t enemy?

²⁵Will you^u terrify a blown leaf?

And will you^v pursue dry stubble?

²⁶“Indeed, you^w write bitter things against me,

and you^x make me reap the iniquities of my childhood.

²⁷And you^y put my feet in the block,

and you^z watch all my paths;

you carve a mark on the soles of my feet.^a

²⁸And he himself ^b​wastes away like something rotten,

like a garment that the moth has eaten.