20 He deprives of speech those who are trusted
    (A)and takes away the discernment of the elders.
21 He (B)pours contempt on princes
    and loosens the belt of the strong.
22 He (C)uncovers the deeps out of darkness
    and brings (D)deep darkness to light.
23 He (E)makes nations great, and he destroys them;
    he enlarges nations, and (F)leads them away.
24 He takes away understanding from the chiefs of the people of the earth
    and (G)makes them wander in a trackless waste.
25 They (H)grope in the dark without light,
    and he makes them (I)stagger like a drunken man.

Job Continues: Still I Will Hope in God

13 “Behold, my eye has seen all this,
    my ear has heard and understood it.
(J)What you know, I also know;
    I am not inferior to you.
(K)But I would speak to the Almighty,
    and I desire to (L)argue my case with God.
As for you, (M)you whitewash with lies;
    (N)worthless physicians are you all.
Oh that you would (O)keep silent,
    and it would be your wisdom!
Hear now my argument
    and listen to the pleadings of my lips.
Will you (P)speak falsely for God
    and speak (Q)deceitfully for him?
Will you show partiality toward him?
    Will you (R)plead the case for God?
Will it be well with you when he (S)searches you out?
    Or (T)can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?
10 He will surely rebuke you
    if in secret you show partiality.
11 Will not his (U)majesty terrify you,
    and the dread of him fall upon you?
12 Your maxims are proverbs of (V)ashes;
    your defenses are defenses of clay.

13 “Let me have silence, and I will speak,
    and let come on me what may.
14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
    and (W)put my life in my hand?
15 (X)Though he slay me, I will (Y)hope in him;[a]
    yet I will (Z)argue my ways to his face.
16 This will be my salvation,
    that the godless shall not come before him.
17 (AA)Keep listening to my words,
    and let my declaration be in your ears.
18 Behold, I have (AB)prepared my case;
    I know that I shall be in the right.
19 (AC)Who is there who will contend with me?
    For then I would be silent and die.
20 Only grant me two things,
    then I will not (AD)hide myself from your face:
21 (AE)withdraw your hand far from me,
    and let not (AF)dread of you terrify me.
22 (AG)Then call, and I will answer;
    or let me speak, and you reply to me.
23 How many are my iniquities and my sins?
    (AH)Make me know my transgression and my sin.
24 Why (AI)do you hide your face
    and (AJ)count me as your enemy?
25 Will you frighten (AK)a driven leaf
    and pursue dry (AL)chaff?
26 For you (AM)write bitter things against me
    and make me inherit (AN)the iniquities of my youth.
27 You put my feet in (AO)the stocks
    and (AP)watch all my paths;
    you set a limit for[b] the soles of my feet.
28 Man[c] wastes away like (AQ)a rotten thing,
    like a garment that is (AR)moth-eaten.

Job Continues: Death Comes Soon to All

14 “Man who is (AS)born of a woman
    is (AT)few of days and (AU)full of trouble.
He comes out like (AV)a flower and (AW)withers;
    he flees like (AX)a shadow and continues not.
And do you (AY)open your eyes on such a one
    and (AZ)bring me into judgment with you?
Who can bring (BA)a clean thing out of an unclean?
    There is not one.
Since his (BB)days are determined,
    and (BC)the number of his months is with you,
    and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,
(BD)look away from him and leave him alone,[d]
    that he may enjoy, like (BE)a hired hand, his day.

“For there is hope for a tree,
    if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,
    and that its shoots will not cease.
Though its root grow old in the earth,
    and (BF)its stump die in the soil,
yet at the scent of water it will bud
    and put out (BG)branches like a young plant.
10 But a man dies and is laid low;
    man breathes his last, and (BH)where is he?
11 (BI)As waters fail from a lake
    and a river wastes away and dries up,
12 so a man lies down and rises not again;
    till (BJ)the heavens are no more he will not awake
    or be (BK)roused out of his sleep.
13 Oh that you would (BL)hide me in (BM)Sheol,
    that you would (BN)conceal me (BO)until your wrath be past,
    that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man dies, shall he live again?
    All the days of my (BP)service I would (BQ)wait,
    till my renewal[e] should come.
15 You would (BR)call, and I would answer you;
    you would long for the (BS)work of your hands.
16 For then you would (BT)number my steps;
    you would not keep (BU)watch over my sin;

Footnotes

  1. Job 13:15 Or Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope
  2. Job 13:27 Or you marked
  3. Job 13:28 Hebrew He
  4. Job 14:6 Probable reading; Hebrew look away from him, that he may cease
  5. Job 14:14 Or relief

20 He silences the lips of trusted advisers
    and takes away the discernment of elders.(A)
21 He pours contempt on nobles(B)
    and disarms the mighty.(C)
22 He reveals the deep things of darkness(D)
    and brings utter darkness(E) into the light.(F)
23 He makes nations great, and destroys them;(G)
    he enlarges nations,(H) and disperses them.(I)
24 He deprives the leaders of the earth of their reason;(J)
    he makes them wander in a trackless waste.(K)
25 They grope in darkness with no light;(L)
    he makes them stagger like drunkards.(M)

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

13 “Keep silent(AF) and let me speak;(AG)
    then let come to me what may.(AH)
14 Why do I put myself in jeopardy
    and take my life in my hands?(AI)
15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope(AJ) in him;(AK)
    I will surely[a] defend my ways to his face.(AL)
16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,(AM)
    for no godless(AN) person would dare come before him!(AO)
17 Listen carefully to what I say;(AP)
    let my words ring in your ears.
18 Now that I have prepared my case,(AQ)
    I know I will be vindicated.(AR)
19 Can anyone bring charges against me?(AS)
    If so, I will be silent(AT) and die.(AU)

20 “Only grant me these two things, God,
    and then I will not hide from you:
21 Withdraw your hand(AV) far from me,
    and stop frightening me with your terrors.(AW)
22 Then summon me and I will answer,(AX)
    or let me speak, and you reply to me.(AY)
23 How many wrongs and sins have I committed?(AZ)
    Show me my offense and my sin.(BA)
24 Why do you hide your face(BB)
    and consider me your enemy?(BC)
25 Will you torment(BD) a windblown leaf?(BE)
    Will you chase(BF) after dry chaff?(BG)
26 For you write down bitter things against me
    and make me reap the sins of my youth.(BH)
27 You fasten my feet in shackles;(BI)
    you keep close watch on all my paths(BJ)
    by putting marks on the soles of my feet.

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

14 “Mortals, born of woman,(BM)
    are of few days(BN) and full of trouble.(BO)
They spring up like flowers(BP) and wither away;(BQ)
    like fleeting shadows,(BR) they do not endure.(BS)
Do you fix your eye on them?(BT)
    Will you bring them[b] before you for judgment?(BU)
Who can bring what is pure(BV) from the impure?(BW)
    No one!(BX)
A person’s days are determined;(BY)
    you have decreed the number of his months(BZ)
    and have set limits he cannot exceed.(CA)
So look away from him and let him alone,(CB)
    till he has put in his time like a hired laborer.(CC)

“At least there is hope for a tree:(CD)
    If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
    and its new shoots(CE) will not fail.(CF)
Its roots may grow old in the ground
    and its stump(CG) die in the soil,
yet at the scent of water(CH) it will bud
    and put forth shoots like a plant.(CI)
10 But a man dies and is laid low;(CJ)
    he breathes his last and is no more.(CK)
11 As the water of a lake dries up
    or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,(CL)
12 so he lies down and does not rise;(CM)
    till the heavens are no more,(CN) people will not awake
    or be roused from their sleep.(CO)

13 “If only you would hide me in the grave(CP)
    and conceal me till your anger has passed!(CQ)
If only you would set me a time
    and then remember(CR) me!(CS)
14 If someone dies, will they live again?
    All the days of my hard service(CT)
    I will wait for my renewal[c](CU) to come.
15 You will call and I will answer you;(CV)
    you will long for the creature your hands have made.(CW)
16 Surely then you will count my steps(CX)
    but not keep track of my sin.(CY)

Footnotes

  1. Job 13:15 Or He will surely slay me; I have no hope — / yet I will
  2. Job 14:3 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew me
  3. Job 14:14 Or release