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.
⁴But you forgers of lies,
^(C)You are all worthless physicians.
⁵Oh, that you would be silent,
And ^(D)it would be your wisdom!
⁶Now hear my reasoning,
And heed the pleadings of my lips.
⁷^(E)Will you speak ^[a]wickedly for God,
And talk deceitfully for Him?
⁸Will you show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?
⁹Will it be well when He searches you out?
Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man?
¹⁰He will surely rebuke you
If you secretly show partiality.
¹¹Will not His ^[b]excellence make you afraid,
And the dread of Him fall upon you?
¹²Your 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!
¹⁴Why ^(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.
¹⁶He also shall be my salvation,
For a ^(I)hypocrite could not come before Him.
¹⁷Listen carefully to my speech,
And to my declaration with your ears.
¹⁸See 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.
²²Then call, and I will ^(N)answer;
Or let me speak, then You respond to me.
²³How 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?
²⁶For 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.