Job Says His Friends’ Proverbs Are Ashes

13 (A)Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
(B)What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you.

“But (C)I would speak to [a]the Almighty,
And I desire to (D)argue with God.
“But you (E)smear with lies;
You are all (F)worthless physicians.
“O that you would (G)be completely silent,
And that it would become your wisdom!
“Please hear my argument
And listen to the contentions of my lips.
“Will you (H)speak what is unjust for God,
And speak what is deceitful for Him?
“Will you (I)show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?
“Will it be well when He examines you?
Or (J)will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?
10 “He will surely reprove you
If you secretly (K)show partiality.
11 “Will not (L)His [b]majesty terrify you,
And the dread of Him fall on you?
12 “Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are defenses of clay.

Job Is Sure He Will Be Vindicated

13 (M)Be silent before me so that I may speak;
Then let come on me what may.
14 “Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
And (N)put my life in my [c]hands?
15 (O)Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I (P)will argue my ways [d]before Him.
16 “This also will be my (Q)salvation,
For (R)a godless man may not come before His presence.
17 “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let my declaration fill your ears.
18 “Behold now, I have (S)prepared my case;
I know that (T)I will be vindicated.
19 (U)Who will contend with me?
For then I would be silent and (V)die.

20 “Only two things do not do to me,
Then I will not hide from Your face:
21 (W)Remove Your [e]hand from me,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.
22 “Then call, and (X)I will answer;
Or let me speak, then reply to me.
23 (Y)How many are my iniquities and sins?
Make known to me my [f]rebellion and my sin.
24 “Why do You (Z)hide Your face
And consider me (AA)Your enemy?
25 “Will You cause a (AB)driven leaf to tremble?
Or will You pursue the dry (AC)chaff?
26 “For You write (AD)bitter things against me
And (AE)make me to inherit the iniquities of my youth.
27 “You (AF)put my feet in the stocks
And watch all my paths;
You [g]set a limit for the soles of my feet,
28 While [h]I am decaying like a (AG)rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

Footnotes

  1. Job 13:3 Heb Shaddai
  2. Job 13:11 Lit exaltation
  3. Job 13:14 Lit palm
  4. Job 13:15 Lit to His face
  5. Job 13:21 Lit palm
  6. Job 13:23 Or transgression
  7. Job 13:27 Lit carve for
  8. Job 13:28 Lit he is

13 “My eyes have seen all this,(A)
    my ears have heard and understood it.
What you know, I also know;
    I am not inferior to you.(B)
But I desire to speak to the Almighty(C)
    and to argue my case with God.(D)
You, however, smear me with lies;(E)
    you are worthless physicians,(F) all of you!(G)
If only you would be altogether silent!(H)
    For you, that would be wisdom.(I)
Hear now my argument;
    listen to the pleas of my lips.(J)
Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf?
    Will you speak deceitfully for him?(K)
Will you show him partiality?(L)
    Will you argue the case for God?
Would it turn out well if he examined you?(M)
    Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?(N)
10 He would surely call you to account
    if you secretly showed partiality.(O)
11 Would not his splendor(P) terrify you?
    Would not the dread of him fall on you?(Q)
12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;
    your defenses are defenses of clay.(R)

13 “Keep silent(S) and let me speak;(T)
    then let come to me what may.(U)
14 Why do I put myself in jeopardy
    and take my life in my hands?(V)
15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope(W) in him;(X)
    I will surely[a] defend my ways to his face.(Y)
16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,(Z)
    for no godless(AA) person would dare come before him!(AB)
17 Listen carefully to what I say;(AC)
    let my words ring in your ears.
18 Now that I have prepared my case,(AD)
    I know I will be vindicated.(AE)
19 Can anyone bring charges against me?(AF)
    If so, I will be silent(AG) and die.(AH)

20 “Only grant me these two things, God,
    and then I will not hide from you:
21 Withdraw your hand(AI) far from me,
    and stop frightening me with your terrors.(AJ)
22 Then summon me and I will answer,(AK)
    or let me speak, and you reply to me.(AL)
23 How many wrongs and sins have I committed?(AM)
    Show me my offense and my sin.(AN)
24 Why do you hide your face(AO)
    and consider me your enemy?(AP)
25 Will you torment(AQ) a windblown leaf?(AR)
    Will you chase(AS) after dry chaff?(AT)
26 For you write down bitter things against me
    and make me reap the sins of my youth.(AU)
27 You fasten my feet in shackles;(AV)
    you keep close watch on all my paths(AW)
    by putting marks on the soles of my feet.

28 “So man wastes away like something rotten,
    like a garment(AX) eaten by moths.(AY)

Footnotes

  1. Job 13:15 Or He will surely slay me; I have no hope — / yet I will

Job Speaks of the Finality of Death

14 (A)Man, who is born of woman,
Is [a]short-lived and (B)full of turmoil.
(C)Like a flower he comes forth and withers.
He also flees like (D)a shadow and does not remain.
“You also (E)open Your eyes on him
And (F)bring [b]him into judgment with Yourself.
(G)Who can make the clean out of the unclean?
No one!
“Since his days are determined,
The (H)number of his months is with You;
And his limits You have [c]set so that he cannot pass.
(I)Turn Your gaze from him that he may [d]rest,
Until he [e]fulfills his day like a hired man.

“For there is hope for a tree,
When it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And its shoots will not [f]fail.
“Though its roots grow old in the ground
And its stump dies in the dry soil,
At the scent of water it will flourish
And put forth sprigs like a plant.
10 “But (J)man dies and lies prostrate.
Man (K)expires, and where is he?
11 As (L)water [g]evaporates from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dried up,
12 So (M)man lies down and does not rise.
Until the heavens are no longer,
[h]He will not awake nor be aroused out of [i]his sleep.

13 “Oh that You would hide me in [j]Sheol,
That You would conceal me (N)until Your wrath returns to You,
That You would set a limit for me and remember me!
14 “If a man dies, will he live again?
All the days of my struggle I will wait
Until my change comes.
15 “You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for (O)the work of Your hands.
16 “For now You (P)number my steps,
You do not (Q)observe my sin.
17 “My transgression is (R)sealed up in a bag,
And You [k]wrap up my iniquity.

18 “But the falling mountain [l]crumbles away,
And the rock moves from its place;
19 Water wears away stones,
Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth;
So You (S)destroy man’s hope.
20 “You forever overpower him and he (T)departs;
You change his appearance and send him away.
21 “His sons achieve honor, but (U)he does not know it;
Or they become insignificant, but he does not perceive it.
22 “But his [m]body pains him,
And he mourns only for himself.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 14:1 Lit short of days
  2. Job 14:3 So with some ancient versions; M.T. me
  3. Job 14:5 Lit made
  4. Job 14:6 Lit cease
  5. Job 14:6 Lit makes acceptable
  6. Job 14:7 Or cease
  7. Job 14:11 Lit disappears
  8. Job 14:12 Lit They
  9. Job 14:12 Lit their
  10. Job 14:13 I.e. the nether world
  11. Job 14:17 Lit plaster; or glue together
  12. Job 14:18 Lit withers
  13. Job 14:22 Lit flesh

14 “Mortals, born of woman,(A)
    are of few days(B) and full of trouble.(C)
They spring up like flowers(D) and wither away;(E)
    like fleeting shadows,(F) they do not endure.(G)
Do you fix your eye on them?(H)
    Will you bring them[a] before you for judgment?(I)
Who can bring what is pure(J) from the impure?(K)
    No one!(L)
A person’s days are determined;(M)
    you have decreed the number of his months(N)
    and have set limits he cannot exceed.(O)
So look away from him and let him alone,(P)
    till he has put in his time like a hired laborer.(Q)

“At least there is hope for a tree:(R)
    If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
    and its new shoots(S) will not fail.(T)
Its roots may grow old in the ground
    and its stump(U) die in the soil,
yet at the scent of water(V) it will bud
    and put forth shoots like a plant.(W)
10 But a man dies and is laid low;(X)
    he breathes his last and is no more.(Y)
11 As the water of a lake dries up
    or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,(Z)
12 so he lies down and does not rise;(AA)
    till the heavens are no more,(AB) people will not awake
    or be roused from their sleep.(AC)

13 “If only you would hide me in the grave(AD)
    and conceal me till your anger has passed!(AE)
If only you would set me a time
    and then remember(AF) me!(AG)
14 If someone dies, will they live again?
    All the days of my hard service(AH)
    I will wait for my renewal[b](AI) to come.
15 You will call and I will answer you;(AJ)
    you will long for the creature your hands have made.(AK)
16 Surely then you will count my steps(AL)
    but not keep track of my sin.(AM)
17 My offenses will be sealed(AN) up in a bag;(AO)
    you will cover over my sin.(AP)

18 “But as a mountain erodes and crumbles(AQ)
    and as a rock is moved from its place,(AR)
19 as water wears away stones
    and torrents(AS) wash away the soil,(AT)
    so you destroy a person’s hope.(AU)
20 You overpower them once for all, and they are gone;(AV)
    you change their countenance and send them away.(AW)
21 If their children are honored, they do not know it;
    if their offspring are brought low, they do not see it.(AX)
22 They feel but the pain of their own bodies(AY)
    and mourn only for themselves.(AZ)

Footnotes

  1. Job 14:3 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew me
  2. Job 14:14 Or release