Job 13
Complete Jewish Bible
13 “All this I have seen with my own eyes;
with my own ears I have heard and understood it.
2 Whatever you know, I know too;
I am not inferior to you.
3 However, it’s Shaddai I want to speak with;
I want to prove my case to God.
4 But you, what you do is whitewash with lies;
you are all witch doctors!
5 I wish you would just stay silent;
for you, that would be wisdom!
6 “Now listen to my reasoning,
pay attention to how I present my dispute.
7 Is it for God’s sake that you speak so wickedly?
for him that you talk deceitfully?
8 Do you need to take his side
and plead God’s case for him?
9 If he examines you, will all go well?
Can you deceive him, as one man deceives another?
10 If you are secretly flattering [him],
he will surely rebuke you.
11 Doesn’t God’s majesty terrify you?
Aren’t you overcome with dread of him?
12 Your maxims are garbage-proverbs;
your answers crumble like clay.
13 “So be quiet! Let me be! I’ll do the talking,
come on me what may!
14 Why am I taking my flesh in my teeth,
taking my life in my hands?
15 Look, he will kill me — I don’t expect more,
but I will still defend my ways to his face.
16 And this is what will save me —
that a hypocrite cannot appear before him.
17 “Listen closely, then, to my words;
pay attention to what I am saying.
18 Here, now, I have prepared my case;
I know I am in the right.
19 If anyone can contend with me,
I will be quiet and die!
20 “Only grant two things to me, God;
then I won’t hide myself from your face —
21 take your hand away from me,
and don’t let fear of you frighten me.
22 Then, if you call, I will answer.
Or let me speak, and you, answer me!
23 How many crimes and sins have I committed?
Make me know my transgression and sin.
24 Why do you hide your face
and think of me as your enemy?
25 Do you want to harass a wind-driven leaf?
do you want to pursue a dry straw?
26 Is this why you draw up bitter charges against me
and punish me for the faults of my youth?
27 You put my feet in the stocks,
you watch me closely wherever I go,
you trace out each footprint of mine —
28 though [my body] decays like something rotten
or like a moth-eaten garment.
Job 13
EasyEnglish Bible
Job continues to speak
13 I have seen all these things with my own eyes.
I have heard everything that you have said.
I have understood it.
2 I know as much as you do.
You are no better than I am.
3 But I want to speak to the Almighty God.
I need to show him that I am right.
4 What you say about me is only lies.
You would be useless as doctors.
5 It would be better if you said nothing.
That would be a wise thing for you to do.
6 Listen now to what I have to say.
Listen carefully to the words that I speak.
7 You think that you can tell lies to speak on behalf of God!
Your lies are not helping God.
8 You are trying to win the argument for God.
But you are not being honest when you do that.
9 If God asks you questions,
would he find that you speak the truth?
Or would you try to deceive him,
as you deceive other people?
10 When you speak on God's behalf,
you may think that your lies are a secret.
But God will still punish you.
11 His great power will frighten you.
You will be very afraid of him.
12 Your wise teaching is worth no more than ashes.
Your arguments are weak and useless.
13 So be quiet now and let me speak.
Then we will see what happens to me.
14 I am ready for my life to be in danger.
I must take that risk.
15 Even if God kills me, I will still trust him.
I will tell him why I am not guilty.
16 I am brave enough to stand in front of God.
No wicked person would be able to do that.
So it shows that I am not guilty.
17 Listen carefully to my words.
Hear what I have to say.
18 I know what I want to say.
I am ready to explain why I am not guilty.
19 Nobody can show that I have done wrong things.
If anyone can do that, I will be quiet.
I will be ready to die.
20 God, please do two things that will help me.
If you do those things,
I will no longer hide from you.
21 Please stop punishing me.
And stop causing me to be so afraid of you.
22 Tell me to come and stand in front of you.
Then I will answer you.
Or allow me to speak first.
Then you will reply to me.
23 Tell me how many wrong things I have done.
Show me what my sins are.
24 Why do you hide yourself from me?
Why do you think that I am your enemy?
25 I am as weak as a leaf that the wind can blow away.
But you still want to frighten me.
I am as useless as chaff,
but you still attack me.
26 You write down things to accuse me.
You punish me for the sins I did when I was young.
27 You tie my feet with chains.
You watch me carefully wherever I go.
You put marks on my feet.
28 So my life is slowly disappearing.
It is like a coat that moths are eating.
Job 13
King James Version
13 Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it.
2 What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.
3 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
4 But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.
5 O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.
6 Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
7 Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
8 Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?
9 Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?
10 He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.
11 Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?
12 Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.
13 Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.
14 Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?
15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
16 He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.
17 Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.
18 Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.
19 Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.
20 Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.
21 Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.
22 Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.
23 How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?
25 Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
26 For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.
27 Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.
28 And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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