Job 13

13“Behold, my eye has seen all this, My ear has heard and understood it.

^2aWhat you know, I also know;

I am not inferior to you.

^3bBut I would speak to the Almighty,

And I desire to reason with God.

⁴But you forgers of lies,

^cYou are all worthless physicians.

⁵Oh, that you would be silent,

And ^dit would be your wisdom!

⁶Now hear my reasoning,

And heed the pleadings of my lips.

^7eWill you speak ¹wickedly for God,

And talk deceitfully for Him?

⁸Will you show partiality for Him?

Will you contend for God?

⁹Will it be well when He searches you out?

Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man?

¹⁰He will surely rebuke you

If you secretly show partiality.

¹¹Will not His ²excellence make you afraid,

And the dread of Him fall upon you?

¹²Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes,

Your defenses are defenses of clay.

¹³“Hold ³your peace with me, and let me speak,

Then let come on me what may!

¹⁴Why ^fdo I take my flesh in my teeth,

And put my life in my hands?

^15gThough He slay me, yet will I trust Him.

^hEven so, I will defend my own ways before Him.

¹⁶He also shall be my salvation,

For a ⁱhypocrite could not come before Him.

¹⁷Listen carefully to my speech,

And to my declaration with your ears.

¹⁸See now, I have prepared my case,

I know that I shall be ^jvindicated.

^19kWho is he who will contend with me?

If now I hold my tongue, I perish.

Job’s Despondent Prayer

²⁰“Only ^ltwo things do not do to me,

Then I will not hide myself from You:

^21mWithdraw Your hand far from me,

And let not the dread of You make me afraid.

²²Then call, and I will ⁿanswer;

Or let me speak, then You respond to me.

²³How many are my iniquities and sins?

Make me know my transgression and my sin.

^24oWhy do You hide Your face,

And ^pregard me as Your enemy?

^25qWill You frighten a leaf driven to and fro?

And will You pursue dry stubble?

²⁶For You write bitter things against me,

And ^rmake me inherit the iniquities of my youth.

^27sYou put my feet in the stocks,

And watch closely all my paths.

You ⁴set a limit for the ⁵soles of my feet.

²⁸“Man ⁶decays like a rotten thing,

Like a garment that is moth-eaten.