Job 13

¹“Lo, my eye has seen all this, my ear has heard and understood it.

²What you know, I also know;

I am not inferior to you.

³But I would speak to the Almighty,

and I desire to argue my case with God.

⁴As for you, you whitewash with lies;

worthless physicians are you all.

⁵Oh that you would keep silent,

and it would be your wisdom!

⁶Hear now my reasoning,

and listen to the pleadings of my lips.

⁷Will you speak falsely for God,

and speak deceitfully for him?

⁸Will you show partiality toward him,

will you plead the case for God?

⁹Will it be well with you when he searches you out?

Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?

¹⁰He will surely rebuke you

if in secret you show partiality.

¹¹Will not his majesty terrify you,

and the dread of him fall upon you?

¹²Your maxims are proverbs of ashes,

your defenses are defenses of clay.

¹³“Let me have silence, and I will speak,

and let come on me what may.

¹⁴I will take my flesh in my teeth,

and put my life in my hand.

¹⁵Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope;

yet I will defend my ways to his face.

¹⁶This will be my salvation,

that a godless man shall not come before him.

¹⁷Listen carefully to my words,

and let my declaration be in your ears.

¹⁸Behold, I have prepared my case;

I know that I shall be vindicated.

¹⁹Who is there that will contend with me?

For then I would be silent and die.

²⁰Only grant two things to me,

then I will not hide myself from thy face:

²¹withdraw thy hand far from me,

and let not dread of thee terrify me.

²²Then call, and I will answer;

or let me speak, and do thou reply to me.

²³How many are my iniquities and my sins?

Make me know my transgression and my sin.

²⁴Why dost thou hide thy face,

and count me as thy enemy?

²⁵Wilt thou frighten a driven leaf

and pursue dry chaff?

²⁶For thou writest bitter things against me,

and makest me inherit the iniquities of my youth.

²⁷Thou puttest my feet in the stocks,

and watchest all my paths;

thou settest a bound to the soles of my feet.

²⁸Man wastes away like a rotten thing,

like a garment that is moth-eaten.