Job 13:1–28

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:

^21aRemove 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,

²⁸While ¹I am decaying like a ^arotten thing,

Like a garment that is moth-eaten.