Job 13, side by side

¹“Indeed, my eyes have seen all this; my ears have heard and understood.

¹Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it.

²What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.

²What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.

³Yet I desire to speak to the Almighty and argue my case before God.

³Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

⁴You, however, smear with lies; you are all worthless physicians.

⁴But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.

⁵If only you would remain silent; for that would be your wisdom!

⁵O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.

⁶Hear now my argument, and listen to the plea of my lips.

⁶Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.

⁷Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf or speak deceitfully for Him?

⁷Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?

⁸Would you show Him partiality or argue in His defense?

⁸Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?

⁹Would it be well when He examined you? Could you deceive Him like a man?

⁹Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?

¹⁰Surely He would rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality.

¹⁰He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.

¹¹Would His majesty not terrify you? Would the dread of Him not fall upon you?

¹¹Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?

¹²Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.

¹²Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.

¹³Be silent, and I will speak. Then let come to me what may.

¹³Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.

¹⁴Why do I put myself at risk and take my life in my own hands?

¹⁴Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?

¹⁵Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. I will still defend my ways to His face.

¹⁵Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

¹⁶Moreover, this will be my salvation, for no godless man can appear before Him.

¹⁶He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

¹⁷Listen carefully to my words; let my declaration ring in your ears.

¹⁷Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.

¹⁸Behold, now that I have prepared my case, I know that I will be vindicated.

¹⁸Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

¹⁹Can anyone indict me? If so, I will be silent and die.

¹⁹Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.

²⁰Only grant these two things to me, so that I need not hide from You:

²⁰Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.

²¹Withdraw Your hand from me, and do not let Your terror frighten me.

²¹Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.

²²Then call me, and I will answer, or let me speak, and You can reply.

²²Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.

²³How many are my iniquities and sins? Reveal to me my transgression and sin.

²³How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.

²⁴Why do You hide Your face and consider me as Your enemy?

²⁴Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?

²⁵Would You frighten a windblown leaf? Would You chase after dry chaff?

²⁵Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?

²⁶For You record bitter accusations against me and bequeath to me the iniquities of my youth.

²⁶For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.

²⁷You put my feet in the stocks and stand watch over all my paths; You set a limit for the soles of my feet.

²⁷Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.

²⁸So man wastes away like something rotten, like a moth-eaten garment.

²⁸And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.