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Job’s Fourth Speech Continues

13 “Look, my eye has seen everything;
my ear has heard and has understood it.
What you[a] know,[b] I myself[c] also know—
I am not more inferior than you.[d]
But I would speak to Shaddai,
and I desire to argue with God.
“But[e] you[f] whitewash with lies;[g]
all of you[h] are worthless healers.[i]
O that[j] you[k] would keep completely silent,
and that it would become wisdom for you.[l]
Please hear my argument,
and listen attentively to the pleadings of my lips.
“Will you[m] speak falsely for God?
And will you[n] speak deceitfully for him?
Will you[o] show partiality for him?[p]
Or do you[q] want to plead God’s case?
Will 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.
11 Will not his majesty terrify you,[w]
and his dread fall upon you?[x]
12 Your[y] maxims are proverbs of ashes;
your[z] defenses are defenses of clay.
13 Let me have silence,[aa] and I myself[ab] will speak,
and let come over me whatever may.
14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
and[ac] put[ad] my life in my hand?
15 Look,[ae] though he kill me, I will hope in[af] him;
however, I will defend my ways before him.[ag]
16 Moreover, this is salvation to me,
that the godless would not come before him.[ah]
17 “Listen carefully to my words,
and let my exposition be in your ears.
18 Please look,[ai] I have prepared my case;
I know that I myself[aj] will be vindicated.
19 Who 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[ak] must not do these two things to me;
then I will not hide from your face:
21 withdraw your[al] hand from me,
and let not your[am] dread terrify me.
22 Then[an] call, and I myself[ao] will answer;
or let me speak, then[ap] reply to me.
23 How many[aq] are my iniquities and sins?
Make known to me my transgression and my sin.
24 Why do you[ar] hide your[as] face
and count me as your[at] enemy?
25 Will you[au] terrify a blown leaf?
And will you[av] pursue dry stubble?
26 “Indeed, you[aw] write bitter things against me,
and you[ax] make me reap the iniquities of my childhood.
27 And you[ay] put my feet in the block,
and you[az] watch all my paths;
you carve a mark on the soles of my feet.[ba]
28 And he himself [bb]wastes away like something rotten,
like a garment that the moth has eaten.

Footnotes

  1. Job 13:2 Plural
  2. Job 13:2 Literally “Like your knowledge”
  3. Job 13:2 Emphatic personal pronoun
  4. Job 13:2 Plural
  5. Job 13:4 Or “And but”
  6. Job 13:4 Plural
  7. Job 13:4 Literally “coverers of lies”
  8. Job 13:4 Plural
  9. Job 13:4 Literally “healers of worthlessness”
  10. Job 13:5 Literally “Who shall give”
  11. Job 13:5 Plural
  12. Job 13:5 Plural
  13. Job 13:7 Plural
  14. Job 13:7 Plural
  15. Job 13:8 Plural
  16. Job 13:8 Literally “his faces will you raise”
  17. Job 13:8 Plural
  18. Job 13:9 Plural
  19. Job 13:9 Plural
  20. Job 13:10 Plural
  21. Job 13:10 Plural
  22. Job 13:10 Literally “faces you lift up”
  23. Job 13:11 Plural
  24. Job 13:11 Plural
  25. Job 13:12 Plural
  26. Job 13:12 Plural
  27. Job 13:13 Literally “Be silent away from me”
  28. Job 13:13 Emphatic personal pronoun
  29. Job 13:14 Hebrew “now”
  30. Job 13:14 Or “should I put,” or “will I put”
  31. Job 13:15 Or “Though”
  32. Job 13:15 Or “for”
  33. Job 13:15 Literally “to his faces”
  34. Job 13:16 Literally “to his faces”
  35. Job 13:18 Or “Look here”
  36. Job 13:18 Emphatic personal pronoun
  37. Job 13:20 Singular; the antecedent is God
  38. Job 13:21 Singular
  39. Job 13:21 Singular
  40. Job 13:22 Hebrew “And”
  41. Job 13:22 Emphatic personal pronoun
  42. Job 13:22 Hebrew “and”
  43. Job 13:23 Literally “Like what”
  44. Job 13:24 Singular
  45. Job 13:24 Singular
  46. Job 13:24 Singular
  47. Job 13:25 Singular
  48. Job 13:25 Singular
  49. Job 13:26 Singular
  50. Job 13:26 Singular
  51. Job 13:27 Singular
  52. Job 13:27 Singular
  53. Job 13:27 Or “You mark/note my footprints”
  54. Job 13:28 Emphatic personal pronoun

13 “My eyes have seen all this,(A)
    my ears have heard and understood it.
What you know, I also know;
    I am not inferior to you.(B)
But I desire to speak to the Almighty(C)
    and to argue my case with God.(D)
You, however, smear me with lies;(E)
    you are worthless physicians,(F) all of you!(G)
If only you would be altogether silent!(H)
    For you, that would be wisdom.(I)
Hear now my argument;
    listen to the pleas of my lips.(J)
Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf?
    Will you speak deceitfully for him?(K)
Will you show him partiality?(L)
    Will you argue the case for God?
Would it turn out well if he examined you?(M)
    Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?(N)
10 He would surely call you to account
    if you secretly showed partiality.(O)
11 Would not his splendor(P) terrify you?
    Would not the dread of him fall on you?(Q)
12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;
    your defenses are defenses of clay.(R)

13 “Keep silent(S) and let me speak;(T)
    then let come to me what may.(U)
14 Why do I put myself in jeopardy
    and take my life in my hands?(V)
15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope(W) in him;(X)
    I will surely[a] defend my ways to his face.(Y)
16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,(Z)
    for no godless(AA) person would dare come before him!(AB)
17 Listen carefully to what I say;(AC)
    let my words ring in your ears.
18 Now that I have prepared my case,(AD)
    I know I will be vindicated.(AE)
19 Can anyone bring charges against me?(AF)
    If so, I will be silent(AG) and die.(AH)

20 “Only grant me these two things, God,
    and then I will not hide from you:
21 Withdraw your hand(AI) far from me,
    and stop frightening me with your terrors.(AJ)
22 Then summon me and I will answer,(AK)
    or let me speak, and you reply to me.(AL)
23 How many wrongs and sins have I committed?(AM)
    Show me my offense and my sin.(AN)
24 Why do you hide your face(AO)
    and consider me your enemy?(AP)
25 Will you torment(AQ) a windblown leaf?(AR)
    Will you chase(AS) after dry chaff?(AT)
26 For you write down bitter things against me
    and make me reap the sins of my youth.(AU)
27 You fasten my feet in shackles;(AV)
    you keep close watch on all my paths(AW)
    by putting marks on the soles of my feet.

28 “So man wastes away like something rotten,
    like a garment(AX) eaten by moths.(AY)

Footnotes

  1. Job 13:15 Or He will surely slay me; I have no hope — / yet I will