Job 10-13 (English Standard Version)

Job 10

Job Continues: A Plea to God

 ¹"I^(A) loathe my life;I will give free utterance to my^(B) complaint;
   I will speak in^(C) the bitterness of my soul.
²I will say to God, Do not^(D) condemn me;
   let me know why you^(E) contend against me.
^3(F) Does it seem good to you to oppress,
   to despise^(G) the work of your hands
   ^(H) and favor the designs of the wicked?
⁴Have you^(I) eyes of flesh?
   ^(J) Do you see as man sees?
⁵Are your days as the days of man,
   or your^(K) years as a man’s years,
⁶that you^(L) seek out my iniquity
   and search for my sin,
⁷although you^(M) know that I am not guilty,
   and there is^(N) none to deliver out of your hand?
^8(O) Your hands fashioned and made me,
   and now you have destroyed me altogether.
⁹Remember that you have made me like^(P) clay;
   and will you return me to the^(Q) dust?
¹⁰Did you not pour me out like milk
   and curdle me like cheese?
¹¹You clothed me with skin and flesh,
   and knit me together with bones and sinews.
¹²You have granted me life and steadfast love,
   and your care has preserved my spirit.
¹³Yet these things you hid in your heart;
   I know that^(R) this was your purpose.
¹⁴If I sin, you^(S) watch me
   and do not^(T) acquit me of my iniquity.
^15(U) If I am guilty, woe to me!
   If I am^(V) in the right, I cannot lift up my head,
for I am filled with disgrace
   and^(W) look on my affliction.
¹⁶And were my head lifted up,^[a] you would hunt me like^(X) a lion
   and again work^(Y) wonders against me.
¹⁷You renew your^(Z) witnesses against me
   and increase your vexation toward me;
   you^(AA) bring fresh troops against me.

 ^18(AB) "Why did you bring me out from the womb?
   Would that I had died before any eye had seen me
^19(AC) and were as though I had not been,
   carried from the womb to the grave.
^20(AD) Are not my days few?
   ^(AE) Then cease, and leave me alone,^(AF) that I may find a little cheer
²¹before I go—and^(AG) I shall not return—
   to the land of^(AH) darkness and^(AI) deep shadow,
²²the land of gloom like thick darkness,
   like deep shadow without any order,
   where light is as thick darkness."

Job 11

Zophar Speaks: You Deserve Worse

 ¹Then^(AJ) Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
 ²"Should^(AK) a multitude of words go unanswered,
   and a man full of talk be judged right?
³Should your babble silence men,
   and when you mock, shall no one shame you?
⁴For^(AL) you say, 'My^(AM) doctrine is pure,
   and I am clean in God’s^[b] eyes.'
⁵But oh, that God would speak
   and open his lips to you,
⁶and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom!
   For he is manifold in^(AN) understanding.^[c]
Know then that God^(AO) exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.

 ^7(AP) "Can you find out the deep things of God?
   Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
⁸It is^(AQ) higher than heaven^[d]—what can you do?
   Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
⁹Its measure is longer than the earth
   and broader than the sea.
¹⁰If he^(AR) passes through and^(AS) imprisons
   and summons the court, who can^(AT) turn him back?
¹¹For he knows^(AU) worthless men;
   when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?
¹²But a stupid man will get understanding
   when^(AV) a wild donkey’s colt is^(AW) born a man!

 ¹³"If you^(AX) prepare your heart,
   you will^(AY) stretch out your hands toward him.
¹⁴If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
   and let not injustice dwell in your tents.
¹⁵Surely then you will^(AZ) lift up your face without^(BA) blemish;
   you will be secure and will not fear.
¹⁶You will^(BB) forget your misery;
   you will remember it as waters that have passed away.
¹⁷And your life will be^(BC) brighter than the noonday;
   its darkness will be like the morning.
¹⁸And you will feel secure, because there is hope;
   you will look around and^(BD) take your rest in security.
¹⁹You will^(BE) lie down, and none will make you afraid;
   many will^(BF) court your favor.
²⁰But^(BG) the eyes of the wicked will fail;
   all way of escape will be lost to them,
   and their hope is^(BH) to breathe their last."

Job 12

Job Replies: The LORD Has Done This

 ¹Then Job answered and said:
 ²"No doubt you are the people,
   and wisdom will die with you.
³But I have^(BI) understanding as well as you;
   I am not inferior to you.
   Who does not know^(BJ) such things as these?
⁴I am^(BK) a laughingstock to my friends;
   I, who^(BL) called to God and he answered me,
   a just and blameless man, am a laughingstock.
⁵In the thought of one who is^(BM) at ease there is contempt for misfortune;
   it is ready for those whose feet slip.
^6(BN) The tents of robbers are at peace,
   and those who provoke God are secure,
   who bring their god in their hand.^[e]

 ⁷"But ask the beasts, and they will teach you;
   the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you;
⁸or the bushes of the earth,^[f] and they will teach you;
   and the fish of the sea will declare to you.
⁹Who among all these does not know
   that^(BO) the hand of the LORD has done this?
¹⁰In^(BP) his hand is the life of every living thing
   and the breath of all mankind.
¹¹Does not^(BQ) the ear test words
   as the palate tastes food?
¹²Wisdom is with^(BR) the aged,
   and understanding in length of days.

 ^13(BS) "With God^[g] are wisdom and might;
   he has counsel and understanding.
¹⁴If he tears down, none can rebuild;
   if he^(BT) shuts a man in, none can open.
¹⁵If he^(BU) withholds the waters, they dry up;
   if he^(BV) sends them out, they overwhelm the land.
¹⁶With him are strength and^(BW) sound wisdom;
   the deceived and the deceiver are his.
¹⁷He leads^(BX) counselors away stripped,
   and^(BY) judges he makes fools.
¹⁸He^(BZ) looses the bonds of kings
   and binds a waistcloth on their hips.
¹⁹He leads priests away stripped
   and overthrows the mighty.
²⁰He deprives of speech those who are trusted
   ^(CA) and takes away the discernment of the elders.
²¹He^(CB) pours contempt on princes
   and loosens the belt of the strong.
²²He^(CC) uncovers the deeps out of darkness
   and brings^(CD) deep darkness to light.
²³He^(CE) makes nations great, and he destroys them;
   he enlarges nations, and^(CF) leads them away.
²⁴He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth
   and^(CG) makes them wander in a pathless waste.
²⁵They^(CH) grope in the dark without light,
   and he makes them^(CI) stagger like a drunken man.

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.
^2(CJ) What you know, I also know;
   I am not inferior to you.
^3(CK) But I would speak to the Almighty,
   and I desire to^(CL) argue my case with God.
⁴As for you,^(CM) you whitewash with lies;
   ^(CN) worthless physicians are you all.
⁵Oh that you would^(CO) keep silent,
   and it would be your wisdom!
⁶Hear now my argument
   and listen to the pleadings of my lips.
⁷Will you^(CP) speak falsely for God
   and speak deceitfully for him?
⁸Will you show partiality toward him?
   Will you^(CQ) plead the case for God?
⁹Will it be well with you when he^(CR) searches you out?
   Or^(CS) can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?
¹⁰He will surely rebuke you
   if in secret you show partiality.
¹¹Will not his^(CT) majesty terrify you,
   and the dread of him fall upon you?
¹²Your maxims are proverbs of^(CU) ashes;
   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^(CV) put my life in my hand?
^15(CW) Though he slay me, I will^(CX) hope in him;^[h]
   yet I will^(CY) argue my ways to his face.
¹⁶This will be my salvation,
   that the godless shall not come before him.
^17(CZ) Keep listening to my words,
   and let my declaration be in your ears.
¹⁸Behold, I have^(DA) prepared my case;
   I know that I shall be in the right.
^19(DB) Who is there who will contend with me?
   For then I would be silent and die.
²⁰Only grant me two things,
   then I will not^(DC) hide myself from your face:
^21(DD) withdraw your hand far from me,
   and let not^(DE) dread of you terrify me.
^22(DF) Then call, and I will answer;
   or let me speak, and you reply to me.
²³How many are my iniquities and my sins?
   ^(DG) Make me know my transgression and my sin.
²⁴Why^(DH) do you hide your face
   and^(DI) count me as your enemy?
²⁵Will you frighten^(DJ) a driven leaf
   and pursue dry^(DK) chaff?
²⁶For you^(DL) write bitter things against me
   and make me inherit^(DM) the iniquities of my youth.
²⁷You put my feet in^(DN) the stocks
   and^(DO) watch all my paths;
   you set a limit for^[i] the soles of my feet.
²⁸Man^[j] wastes away like^(DP) a rotten thing,
   like a garment that is^(DQ) moth-eaten.