Job 13

Job Continues: Still I Will Hope in God

¹“Behold, my eye has seen all this,

my ear has heard and understood it.

²What you know, I also know;[#12:3; 15:9]

I am not inferior to you.

³But I would speak to the Almighty,[#23:4; 31:35]

and I desire to argue my case with God.

⁴As for you, you whitewash with lies;[#Ps. 119:69]

worthless physicians are you all.

⁵Oh that you would keep silent,[#Prov. 17:28]

and it would be your wisdom!

⁶Hear now my argument

and listen to the pleadings of my lips.

⁷Will you speak falsely for God[#27:4]

and speak deceitfully for him?

⁸Will you show partiality toward him?

Will you plead the case for God?

⁹Will it be well with you when he searches you out?[#Prov. 28:11]

Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?

¹⁰He will surely rebuke you

if in secret you show partiality.

¹¹Will not his majesty terrify you,[#31:23]

and the dread of him fall upon you?

¹²Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;[#Isa. 44:20]

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 put my life in my hand?

¹⁵Though he slay me, I will hope in him;[#Prov. 14:32; #14:14; #13:15 Or Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope]

yet I will argue my ways to his face.

¹⁶This will be my salvation,

that the godless shall not come before him.

¹⁷Keep listening to my words,[#21:2]

and let my declaration be in your ears.

¹⁸Behold, I have prepared my case;[#33:5]

I know that I shall be in the right.

¹⁹Who is there who will contend with me?[#Isa. 50:8, 9]

For then I would be silent and die.

²⁰Only grant me two things,

then I will not hide myself from your face:

²¹withdraw your hand far from me,[#9:34; Ps. 39:10]

and let not dread of you terrify me.

²²Then call, and I will answer;[#14:15]

or let me speak, and you reply to me.

²³How many are my iniquities and my sins?

Make me know my transgression and my sin.

²⁴Why do you hide your face[#Deut. 32:20]

and count me as your enemy?

²⁵Will you frighten a driven leaf[#Lev. 26:36]

and pursue dry chaff?

²⁶For you write bitter things against me[#Ps. 149:9]

and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.

²⁷You put my feet in the stocks[#33:11]

and watch all my paths;

you set a limit for the soles of my feet.

²⁸Man wastes away like a rotten thing,[#13:28 Hebrew; #Prov. 12:4; 14:30; Hab. 3:16]

like a garment that is moth-eaten.