Job’s Final Defense

29 Job continued his discourse:d

2 “How I long for the months gone by,e

for the days when God watched over me,f

3 when his lamp shone on my head

and by his light I walked through darkness!g

4 Oh, for the days when I was in my prime,

when God’s intimate friendshiph blessed my house,i

5 when the Almighty was still with me

and my childrenj were around me,k

6 when my path was drenched with creaml

and the rockm poured out for me streams of olive oil.n

7 “When I went to the gateo of the city

and took my seat in the public square,

8 the young men saw me and stepped asidep

and the old men rose to their feet;q

9 the chief men refrained from speakingr

and covered their mouths with their hands;s

10 the voices of the nobles were hushed,t

and their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.u

11 Whoever heard me spoke well of me,

and those who saw me commended me,v

12 because I rescued the poorw who cried for help,

and the fatherlessx who had none to assist them.y

13 The one who was dying blessed me;z

I made the widow’sa heart sing.

14 I put on righteousnessb as my clothing;

justice was my robe and my turban.c

15 I was eyesd to the blind

and feet to the lame.e

16 I was a father to the needy;f

I took up the caseg of the stranger.h

17 I broke the fangs of the wicked

and snatched the victimsi from their teeth.j

18 “I thought, ‘I will die in my own house,

my days as numerous as the grains of sand.k

19 My roots will reach to the water,l

and the dew will lie all night on my branches.m

20 My glory will not fade;n

the bowo will be ever new in my hand.’p

21 “People listened to me expectantly,

waiting in silence for my counsel.q

22 After I had spoken, they spoke no more;r

my words fell gently on their ears.s

23 They waited for me as for showers

and drank in my words as the spring rain.t

24 When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;

the light of my faceu was precious to them.a v

25 I chose the way for them and sat as their chief;w

I dwelt as a kingx among his troops;

I was like one who comforts mourners.y

13 “My eyes have seen all this,t

my ears have heard and understood it.

2 What you know, I also know;

I am not inferior to you.u

3 But I desire to speak to the Almightyv

and to argue my case with God.w

4 You, however, smear me with lies;x

you are worthless physicians,y all of you!z

5 If only you would be altogether silent!a

For you, that would be wisdom.b

6 Hear now my argument;

listen to the pleas of my lips.c

7 Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf?

Will you speak deceitfully for him?d

8 Will you show him partiality?e

Will you argue the case for God?

9 Would it turn out well if he examined you?f

Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?g

10 He would surely call you to account

if you secretly showed partiality.h

11 Would not his splendori terrify you?

Would not the dread of him fall on you?j

12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;

your defenses are defenses of clay.k

13 “Keep silentl and let me speak;m

then let come to me what may.n

14 Why do I put myself in jeopardy

and take my life in my hands?o

15 Though he slay me, yet will I hopep in him;q

I will surelya defend my ways to his face.r

16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,s

for no godlesst person would dare come before him!u

17 Listen carefully to what I say;v

let my words ring in your ears.

18 Now that I have prepared my case,w

I know I will be vindicated.x

19 Can anyone bring charges against me?y

If so, I will be silentz and die.a

20 “Only grant me these two things, God,

and then I will not hide from you:

21 Withdraw your handb far from me,

and stop frightening me with your terrors.c

22 Then summon me and I will answer,d

or let me speak, and you reply to me.e

23 How many wrongs and sins have I committed?f

Show me my offense and my sin.g

24 Why do you hide your faceh

and consider me your enemy?i

25 Will you tormentj a windblown leaf?k

Will you chasel after dry chaff?m

26 For you write down bitter things against me

and make me reap the sins of my youth.n

27 You fasten my feet in shackles;o

you keep close watch on all my pathsp

by putting marks on the soles of my feet.

28 “So man wastes away like something rotten,

like a garmentq eaten by moths.r

14 “Mortals, born of woman,s

are of few dayst and full of trouble.u

2 They spring up like flowersv and wither away;w

like fleeting shadows,x they do not endure.y

3 Do you fix your eye on them?z

Will you bring thema before you for judgment?a

4 Who can bring what is pureb from the impure?c

No one!d

5 A person’s days are determined;e

you have decreed the number of his monthsf

and have set limits he cannot exceed.g

6 So look away from him and let him alone,h

till he has put in his time like a hired laborer.i

7 “At least there is hope for a tree:j

If it is cut down, it will sprout again,

and its new shootsk will not fail.l

8 Its roots may grow old in the ground

and its stumpm die in the soil,

9 yet at the scent of watern it will bud

and put forth shoots like a plant.o

10 But a man dies and is laid low;p

he breathes his last and is no more.q

11 As the water of a lake dries up

or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,r

12 so he lies down and does not rise;s

till the heavens are no more,t people will not awake

or be roused from their sleep.u

13 “If only you would hide me in the gravev

and conceal me till your anger has passed!w

If only you would set me a time

and then

13 “My eyes have seen all this,t

my ears have heard and understood it.

2 What you know, I also know;

I am not inferior to you.u

3 But I desire to speak to the Almightyv

and to argue my case with God.w

4 You, however, smear me with lies;x

you are worthless physicians,y all of you!z

5 If only you would be altogether silent!a

For you, that would be wisdom.b

6 Hear now my argument;

listen to the pleas of my lips.c

7 Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf?

Will you speak deceitfully for him?d

8 Will you show him partiality?e

Will you argue the case for God?

9 Would it turn out well if he examined you?f

Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?g

10 He would surely call you to account

if you secretly showed partiality.h

11 Would not his splendori terrify you?

Would not the dread of him fall on you?j

12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;

your defenses are defenses of clay.k

13 “Keep silentl and let me speak;m

then let come to me what may.n

14 Why do I put myself in jeopardy

and take my life in my hands?o

15 Though he slay me, yet will I hopep in him;q

I will surelya defend my ways to his face.r

16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,s

for no godlesst person would dare come before him!u

17 Listen carefully to what I say;v

let my words ring in your ears.

18 Now that I have prepared my case,w

I know I will be vindicated.x

19 Can anyone bring charges against me?y

If so, I will be silentz and die.a

20 “Only grant me these two things, God,

and then I will not hide from you:

21 Withdraw your handb far from me,

and stop frightening me with your terrors.c

22 Then summon me and I will answer,d

or let me speak, and you reply to me.e

23 How many wrongs and sins have I committed?f

Show me my offense and my sin.g

24 Why do you hide your faceh

and consider me your enemy?i

25 Will you tormentj a windblown leaf?k

Will you chasel after dry chaff?m

26 For you write down bitter things against me

and make me reap the sins of my youth.n

27 You fasten my feet in shackles;o

you keep close watch on all my pathsp

by putting marks on the soles of my feet.

28 “So man wastes away like something rotten,

like a garmentq eaten by moths.r