¹“Behold , my eye has seen all this .

My ear has heard and understood it .

²What you know , I know also .

I am not inferior to you .

³“Surely I would speak to the Almighty .

I desire to reason with God.

⁴But you are forgers of lies .

You are all physicians of no value.

⁵Oh that you would be completely silent !

Then you would be wise .

⁶Hear now my reasoning .

Listen to the pleadings of my lips .

⁷Will you speak unrighteously for God,

and talk deceitfully for him ?

⁸Will you show partiality to him ?

Will you contend for God?

⁹Is it good that he should search you out ?

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

¹⁰He will surely reprove you

if you secretly show partiality .

¹¹Won’t his majesty make you afraid

and his dread fall on you ?

¹²Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes.

Your defences are defences of clay .

¹³“Be silent !

Leave me alone , 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 ?

¹⁵Behold , he will kill me .

I have no hope .

Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him .

¹⁶This also will be my salvation ,

that a godless man will not come before him .

¹⁷Listen carefully to my speech .

Let my declaration be in your 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 I would 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 .