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
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
13 “Look, my eye has seen all this;
my ear has heard and understood it.
2 What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
3 But I would speak to the Almighty,[a]
and I desire to argue my case with God.(A)
4 As for you, you whitewash with lies;
all of you are worthless physicians.(B)
5 If you would only keep silent,
that would be your wisdom!(C)
6 Hear now my reasoning,
and listen to the pleadings of my lips.
7 Will you speak falsely for God
and speak deceitfully for him?
8 Will you show partiality toward him;
will you plead the case for God?
9 Will it be well with you when he searches you out?
Or can you deceive him as one person deceives another?(D)
10 He will surely rebuke you
if in secret you show partiality.
11 Will not his majesty terrify you
and the dread of him fall upon you?
12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;
your defenses are defenses of clay.(E)
13 “Let me have silence, and I will speak,
and let come on me what may.
14 I will take my flesh in my teeth
and put my life in my hand.[b](F)
15 See, he will kill me; I have no hope;[c]
but I will defend my ways to his face.(G)
16 This will be my salvation,
that the godless shall not come before him.(H)
17 Listen carefully to my words,
and let my declaration be in your ears.(I)
18 I have indeed prepared my case;
I know that I shall be vindicated.
19 Who is there who will contend with me?
For then I would be silent and die.(J)
Job’s Despondent Prayer
20 “Only grant two things to me;
then I will not hide myself from your face:
21 withdraw your hand far from me,
and do not let dread of you terrify me.(K)
22 Then call, and I will answer;
or let me speak, and you reply to me.(L)
23 How many are my iniquities and my sins?
Make me know my transgression and my sin.(M)
24 Why do you hide your face
and count me as your enemy?(N)
25 Will you frighten a windblown leaf
and pursue dry chaff?(O)
26 For you write bitter things against me
and make me reap[d] the iniquities of my youth.(P)
27 You put my feet in the stocks
and watch all my paths;
you set a bound to the soles of my feet.
28 One wastes away like a rotten thing,
like a garment that is moth-eaten.(Q)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.