Job 13
Lexham English Bible
Job’s Fourth Speech Continues
13 “Look, my eye has seen everything;
my ear has heard and has understood it.
2 What you[a] know,[b] I myself[c] also know—
I am not more inferior than you.[d]
3 But I would speak to Shaddai,
and I desire to argue with God.
4 “But[e] you[f] whitewash with lies;[g]
all of you[h] are worthless healers.[i]
5 O that[j] you[k] would keep completely silent,
and that it would become wisdom for you.[l]
6 Please hear my argument,
and listen attentively to the pleadings of my lips.
7 “Will you[m] speak falsely for God?
And will you[n] speak deceitfully for him?
8 Will you[o] show partiality for him?[p]
Or do you[q] want to plead God’s case?
9 Will it be well, if he examines you?[r]
Or can you[s] deceive him like deceiving a human being?
10 “Surely he will rebuke you[t]
if you[u] show partiality[v] in secret.
11 Will not his majesty terrify you,[w]
and his dread fall upon you?[x]
12 Your[y] maxims are proverbs of ashes;
your[z] defenses are defenses of clay.
13 “Let me have silence,[aa] and I myself[ab] will speak,
and let come over me whatever may.
14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
and[ac] put[ad] my life in my hand?
15 Look,[ae] though he kill me, I will hope in[af] him;
however, I will defend my ways before him.[ag]
16 Moreover, this is salvation to me,
that the godless would not come before him.[ah]
17 “Listen carefully to my words,
and let my exposition be in your ears.
18 Please look,[ai] I have prepared my case;
I know that I myself[aj] will be vindicated.
19 Who is he who will contend with me?
For then I would be silent, and I would pass away.
Job Argues His Case with God
20 “Only you[ak] must not do these two things to me;
then I will not hide from your face:
21 withdraw your[al] hand from me,
and let not your[am] dread terrify me.
22 Then[an] call, and I myself[ao] will answer;
or let me speak, then[ap] reply to me.
23 “How many[aq] are my iniquities and sins?
Make known to me my transgression and my sin.
24 Why do you[ar] hide your[as] face
and count me as your[at] enemy?
25 Will you[au] terrify a blown leaf?
And will you[av] pursue dry stubble?
26 “Indeed, you[aw] write bitter things against me,
and you[ax] make me reap the iniquities of my childhood.
27 And you[ay] put my feet in the block,
and you[az] watch all my paths;
you carve a mark on the soles of my feet.[ba]
28 And he himself [bb]wastes away like something rotten,
like a garment that the moth has eaten.
Footnotes
- Job 13:2 Plural
- Job 13:2 Literally “Like your knowledge”
- Job 13:2 Emphatic personal pronoun
- Job 13:2 Plural
- Job 13:4 Or “And but”
- Job 13:4 Plural
- Job 13:4 Literally “coverers of lies”
- Job 13:4 Plural
- Job 13:4 Literally “healers of worthlessness”
- Job 13:5 Literally “Who shall give”
- Job 13:5 Plural
- Job 13:5 Plural
- Job 13:7 Plural
- Job 13:7 Plural
- Job 13:8 Plural
- Job 13:8 Literally “his faces will you raise”
- Job 13:8 Plural
- Job 13:9 Plural
- Job 13:9 Plural
- Job 13:10 Plural
- Job 13:10 Plural
- Job 13:10 Literally “faces you lift up”
- Job 13:11 Plural
- Job 13:11 Plural
- Job 13:12 Plural
- Job 13:12 Plural
- Job 13:13 Literally “Be silent away from me”
- Job 13:13 Emphatic personal pronoun
- Job 13:14 Hebrew “now”
- Job 13:14 Or “should I put,” or “will I put”
- Job 13:15 Or “Though”
- Job 13:15 Or “for”
- Job 13:15 Literally “to his faces”
- Job 13:16 Literally “to his faces”
- Job 13:18 Or “Look here”
- Job 13:18 Emphatic personal pronoun
- Job 13:20 Singular; the antecedent is God
- Job 13:21 Singular
- Job 13:21 Singular
- Job 13:22 Hebrew “And”
- Job 13:22 Emphatic personal pronoun
- Job 13:22 Hebrew “and”
- Job 13:23 Literally “Like what”
- Job 13:24 Singular
- Job 13:24 Singular
- Job 13:24 Singular
- Job 13:25 Singular
- Job 13:25 Singular
- Job 13:26 Singular
- Job 13:26 Singular
- Job 13:27 Singular
- Job 13:27 Singular
- Job 13:27 Or “You mark/note my footprints”
- Job 13:28 Emphatic personal pronoun
Job 13
New King James Version
Job Defends Himself
13 “Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
2 (A)What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
3 (B)But I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to reason with God.
4 But you forgers of lies,
(C)You are all worthless physicians.
5 Oh, that you would be silent,
And (D)it would be your wisdom!
6 Now hear my reasoning,
And heed the pleadings of my lips.
7 (E)Will you speak [a]wickedly for God,
And talk deceitfully for Him?
8 Will you show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?
9 Will it be well when He searches you out?
Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man?
10 He will surely rebuke you
If you secretly show partiality.
11 Will not His [b]excellence make you afraid,
And the dread of Him fall upon you?
12 Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are defenses of clay.
13 “Hold[c] your peace with me, and let me speak,
Then let come on me what may!
14 Why (F)do I take my flesh in my teeth,
And put my life in my hands?
15 (G)Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.
(H)Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.
16 He also shall be my salvation,
For a (I)hypocrite could not come before Him.
17 Listen carefully to my speech,
And to my declaration with your ears.
18 See now, I have prepared my case,
I know that I shall be (J)vindicated.
19 (K)Who is he who will contend with me?
If now I hold my tongue, I perish.
Job’s Despondent Prayer
20 “Only(L) two things do not do to me,
Then I will not hide myself from You:
21 (M)Withdraw Your hand far from me,
And let not the dread of You make me afraid.
22 Then call, and I will (N)answer;
Or let me speak, then You respond to me.
23 How many are my iniquities and sins?
Make me know my transgression and my sin.
24 (O)Why do You hide Your face,
And (P)regard me as Your enemy?
25 (Q)Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro?
And will You pursue dry stubble?
26 For You write bitter things against me,
And (R)make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
27 (S)You put my feet in the stocks,
And watch closely all my paths.
You [d]set a limit for the [e]soles of my feet.
28 “Man[f] decays like a rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.