¹“Look, my eye has seen all this.

My ear has heard and understood it.

²What y’all know, I also know.

I am not inferior to y’all.

³“Surely I would speak to the Almighty.

I desire to reason with God.

⁴But y’all are forgers of lies.

Y’all are all physicians of no value.

⁵Oh that y’all would be silent-silent!

Then y’all would be wise.

⁶Please y’all, listen now to my reasoning.

Listen to the pleadings of my lips.

⁷Will y’all speak unrighteously for God,

and talk deceitfully for him?

⁸Will y’all show partiality to ʜɪᴍ?

Will y’all contend for God?

⁹Is it good that ʜᴇ should search y’all out?

Or as one deceives a human, will y’all deceive ʜɪᴍ?

¹⁰Hᴇ rebuke-rebuke y’all

if y’all secretly show partiality.

¹¹Won’t ʜɪꜱ majesty make y’all afraid

and ʜɪꜱ dread fall on y’all?

¹²Y’all’s memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes.

Y’all’s defenses are defenses of clay.

¹³“Y’all be silent before me,

so that I may speak.

Let come on me what will.

¹⁴Why should I take my flesh in my teeth,

and put my life in my hand?

¹⁵Even if ʜᴇ will kill me,

I will hope in ʜɪᴍ.

Surely, I will defend my ways before him.

¹⁶This also will be my salvation,

that a godless person may not come before ʜɪᴍ.

¹⁷Y’all must listen-listen to my speech.

Let my declaration be in y’all’s ears.

¹⁸See now, I have set my cause in order.

I know that I am righteous.

¹⁹Who is he who will contend with me?

For then would I hold my peace and give up the spirit.

²⁰“Only don’t do two things to me,

then I will not hide myself from your face:

²¹Withdraw your hand far from me,

and don’t let your terror make me afraid.

²²Then call, and I will answer,

or let me speak, and you answer me.

²³How many are my iniquities and sins?

Make me know my disobedience and my sin.

²⁴Why do you hide your face,

and consider me your enemy?

²⁵Will you harass a driven leaf?

Will you pursue the dry stubble?

²⁶For you write bitter things against me,

and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.

²⁷You also put my feet in the stocks,

and mark all my paths.

You set a bound to the soles of my feet,

²⁸though I am decaying like a rotten thing,

like a garment that is moth-eaten.