Job 13

Job’s Fourth Speech Continues

1 “Look, my eye has seen everything;
my ear has heard and has understood it.
2 ⌞What you ^▼▼Plural know⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “Like your knowledge”} I myself ^{▼▼Emphatic personal pronoun} also know—
I am not more inferior than you. ^▼▼Plural
3 But I would speak to Shaddai,
and I desire to argue with God.
4 “But ^{▼▼Or “And but”} you ^▼▼Plural ⌞whitewash with lies⌟; ^{▼▼Literally “coverers of lies”}
all of you ^▼▼Plural are ⌞worthless healers⌟. ^{▼▼Literally “healers of worthlessness”}
5 ⌞O that⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “Who shall give”} you ^▼▼Plural would keep completely silent,
and that it would become wisdom for you. ^▼▼Plural
6 Please hear my argument,
and listen attentively to the pleadings of my lips.
7 “Will you ^▼▼Plural speak falsely for God?
And will you ^▼▼Plural speak deceitfully for him?
8 ⌞Will you ^▼▼Plural show partiality for him⌟? ^{▼▼Literally “his faces will you raise”}
Or do you ^▼▼Plural want to plead God’s case?
9 Will it be well, if he examines you? ^▼▼Plural
Or can you ^▼▼Plural deceive him like deceiving a human being?
10 “Surely he will rebuke you ^▼▼Plural
if ⌞you ^▼▼Plural show partiality⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “faces you lift up”} in secret.
11 Will not his majesty terrify you, ^▼▼Plural
and his dread fall upon you? ^▼▼Plural
12 Your ^▼▼Plural maxims are proverbs of ashes;
your ^▼▼Plural defenses are defenses of clay.
13 “⌞Let me have silence⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “Be silent away from me”} and I myself ^{▼▼Emphatic personal pronoun} will speak,
and let come over me whatever may.
14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
and ^{▼▼Hebrew “now”} put ^{▼▼Or “should I put,” or “will I put”} my life in my hand?
15 Look, ^{▼▼Or “Though”} though he kill me, I will hope in ^{▼▼Or “for”} him;
however, I will defend my ways ⌞before him⌟. ^{▼▼Literally “to his faces”}
16 Moreover, this is salvation to me,
that the godless would not come ⌞before him⌟. ^{▼▼Literally “to his faces”}
17 “Listen carefully to my words,
and let my exposition be in your ears.
18 Please look, ^{▼▼Or “Look here”} I have prepared my case;
I know that I myself ^{▼▼Emphatic personal pronoun} 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 ^{▼▼Singular; the antecedent is God} must not do these two things to me;
then I will not hide from your face:
21 withdraw your ^{▼▼Singular} hand from me,
and let not your ^{▼▼Singular} dread terrify me.
22 Then ^{▼▼Hebrew “And”} call, and I myself ^{▼▼Emphatic personal pronoun} will answer;
or let me speak, then ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} reply to me.
23 “⌞How many⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “Like what”} are my iniquities and sins?
Make known to me my transgression and my sin.
24 Why do you ^{▼▼Singular} hide your ^{▼▼Singular} face
and count me as your ^{▼▼Singular} enemy?
25 Will you ^{▼▼Singular} terrify a blown leaf?
And will you ^{▼▼Singular} pursue dry stubble?
26 “Indeed, you ^{▼▼Singular} write bitter things against me,
and you ^{▼▼Singular} make me reap the iniquities of my childhood.
27 And you ^{▼▼Singular} put my feet in the block,
and you ^{▼▼Singular} watch all my paths;
you carve a mark on the soles of my feet. ^{▼▼Or “You mark/note my footprints”}
28 And he himself ^{▼▼Emphatic personal pronoun}wastes away like something rotten,
like a garment that the moth has eaten.