Job 13

English Standard Version

Job Continues: Still I Will Hope in God

13 “Behold, my eye has seen all this,
    my ear has heard and understood it.
²^(A)What you know, I also know;
    I am not inferior to you.
³^(B)But I would speak to the Almighty,
    and I desire to ^(C)argue my case with God.
⁴As for you, ^(D)you whitewash with lies;
    ^(E)worthless physicians are you all.
⁵Oh that you would ^(F)keep silent,
    and it would be your wisdom!
⁶Hear now my argument
    and listen to the pleadings of my lips.
⁷Will you ^(G)speak falsely for God
    and speak ^(H)deceitfully for him?
⁸Will you show partiality toward him?
    Will you ^(I)plead the case for God?
⁹Will it be well with you when he ^(J)searches you out?
    Or ^(K)can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?
¹⁰He will surely rebuke you
    if in secret you show partiality.
¹¹Will not his ^(L)majesty terrify you,
    and the dread of him fall upon you?
¹²Your maxims are proverbs of ^(M)ashes;
    your defenses are defenses of clay.

¹³“Let me have silence, and I will speak,
    and let come on me what may.
¹⁴Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
    and ^(N)put my life in my hand?
¹⁵^(O)Though he slay me, I will ^(P)hope in him;^[a]
    yet I will ^(Q)argue my ways to his face.
¹⁶This will be my salvation,
    that the godless shall not come before him.
¹⁷^(R)Keep listening to my words,
    and let my declaration be in your ears.
¹⁸Behold, I have ^(S)prepared my case;
    I know that I shall be in the right.
¹⁹^(T)Who is there who will contend with me?
    For then I would be silent and die.
²⁰Only grant me two things,
    then I will not ^(U)hide myself from your face:
²¹^(V)withdraw your hand far from me,
    and let not ^(W)dread of you terrify me.
²²^(X)Then call, and I will answer;
    or let me speak, and you reply to me.
²³How many are my iniquities and my sins?
    ^(Y)Make me know my transgression and my sin.
²⁴Why ^(Z)do you hide your face
    and ^(AA)count me as your enemy?
²⁵Will you frighten ^(AB)a driven leaf
    and pursue dry ^(AC)chaff?
²⁶For you ^(AD)write bitter things against me
    and make me inherit ^(AE)the iniquities of my youth.
²⁷You put my feet in ^(AF)the stocks
    and ^(AG)watch all my paths;
    you set a limit for^[b] the soles of my feet.
²⁸Man^[c] wastes away like ^(AH)a rotten thing,
    like a garment that is ^(AI)moth-eaten.