Job 13
New American Standard Bible
Job Says His Friends’ Proverbs Are Ashes
13 “(A)Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
2 (B)What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
3 “But (C)I would speak to [a]the Almighty,
And I desire to (D)argue with God.
4 But you (E)smear me with lies;
You are all (F)worthless physicians.
5 Oh that you would (G)be completely silent,
And that it would become your wisdom!
6 Please hear my argument,
And give your attention to the contentions of my lips.
7 Will you (H)speak what is unjust for God,
And speak what is deceitful for Him?
8 Will you (I)show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?
9 Will it go well when He examines you?
Or (J)will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?
10 He will certainly punish you
If you secretly (K)show partiality.
11 Will (L)His [b]majesty not terrify you,
And the dread of Him fall upon 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 upon 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 [d]hope in Him.
Nevertheless I (P)will argue my ways [e]before Him.
16 This also will be my (Q)salvation,
For (R)a godless person cannot 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 could contend with me?
For then I would be silent and (V)die.
20 “Only two things I ask that You do not do to me,
Then I will not hide from Your face:
21 (W)Remove Your [f]hand from me,
And may the dread of You not terrify me.
22 Then call and (X)I will answer;
Or let me speak, then reply to me.
23 (Y)How many are my guilty deeds and sins?
Make known to me my wrongdoing and my sin.
24 Why do You (Z)hide Your face
And consider me (AA)Your enemy?
25 Will You scare away a (AB)scattered leaf?
Or will You pursue the dry (AC)chaff?
26 For You write (AD)bitter things against me
And (AE)make me inherit the guilty deeds 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.
Job 13
International Standard Version
Job Begins to Argues His Case
13 “Look, I’ve seen everything;
I’ve listened carefully and I understand.
2 What you know, I know, too;
I’m not inferior to you.
3 But I want to talk to the Almighty;
and I’m determined to argue my case[a] before God.”
Job Accuses His Friends
4 “But as for you, you whitewash with lies;
all of you are worthless quacks.[b]
5 I wish you’d all just shut up.
Then at least you would appear to be wise.
6 “Now listen to my dispute!
Pay attention to my arguments.[c]
7 Why do you speak falsely on God’s behalf
and speak deceitfully[d] about him?
8 Will you show partiality to him?[e]
Will you plead God’s case?
9 Will things go well for you under his cross-examination?
Can you lie to him, as you would to a human being?[f]
10 “He will be sure to rebuke you,
if you show partiality[g] in secret.
11 His splendor will petrify you with terror,
paralyzing you with fear, won’t it?
12 Your maxims are just worthless proverbs;
your defensive arguments are made of clay.”
Job Resolves to Present His Case
13 “Don’t talk to me! It’s my turn to speak;
then whatever happens, happens.
14 Why shouldn’t I bite my flesh
or take my life in my hands?
15 Even though he kills me,
I’ll continue to hope in him.
At least I’ll be able to argue my case[h] to his face!
16 I have this as my salvation:
the godless person won’t be appearing before him.
17 Pay attention[i] to what I have to say
and listen to my testimony with your own ears.”
Job Presents His Conditions
18 “Look, now! I’ve prepared my case for court.[j]
I know that I’m going to win.[k]
19 Who can oppose me?
If they do, I’ll be silent and die.
20 Grant me only two things as you deal with me;
then I won’t hide from you.[l]
21 Withdraw your hand far from me
and keep me from being petrified with terror.
22 Then call and I’ll answer,
or let me speak and then you reply to me!”
Job Presents Himself for Cross-Examination
23 “How many of my iniquities and sins have you counted?
Show me my transgression and sin.
24 Why do you hide your face
and regard me as your enemy?
25 Are you a god who would make a leaf tremble
or who would prosecute a dry straw?
26 You’ve accused me of bitter things;
you’ve caused me to reap[m] the sins of my youth.
27 You’ve locked my feet in stocks;
you watch all my steps;
You’ve limited where I can walk.[n]
28 So I’m a man who wears out like something rotten,
like a garment that has become moth-eaten.”
Footnotes
- Job 13:3 The Heb. lacks my case
- Job 13:4 Lit. physicians
- Job 13:6 Lit. arguments of my lips
- Job 13:7 Or treachery
- Job 13:8 Lit. lift up his face
- Job 13:9 Lit. mankind
- Job 13:10 Lit. you lift up the face
- Job 13:15 Or way
- Job 13:17 Lit. listen, to listen
- Job 13:18 Or judgment
- Job 13:18 Lit. I’m in the right
- Job 13:20 Lit. from your face
- Job 13:26 Lit. inherit
- Job 13:27 Lit. limited the soles of my feet
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