Job 13
Het Boek
Jobs rechtvaardigheid
13 ‘Veel van de dingen die jullie beschreven, heb ik met eigen ogen zien gebeuren, met mijn oren heb ik ervan gehoord.
2 Ik weet evenveel als jullie. Ik kan mij met jullie meten.
3 Och, wat verlang ik ernaar rechtstreeks met de Almachtige te spreken. Ik wil dit alles met God Zelf bespreken.
4 Want jullie proberen mij leugens aan te praten. Jullie zijn een stelletje kwakzalvers.
5 Houd je alsjeblieft stil! Dat zou meer getuigen van wijsheid.
6 Luister nu maar eens naar mij, naar mijn argumenten en pleidooi.
7 Blijven jullie net doen alsof jullie namens God spreken, hoewel Hij nooit de dingen heeft gezegd die jullie Hem in de mond leggen?
8 Zou God willen dat jullie Hem helpen door de waarheid voor Hem te verdraaien?
9 Dachten jullie dat hij jullie niet doorheeft? Of denken jullie soms dat God net zo gemakkelijk te bedriegen is als de mensen?
10 Hij zal jullie zeker terechtwijzen als je stiekem partijdig bent.
11 Geeft zijn majesteit je geen angstig gevoel in het hart? Maakt zijn grootheid jullie niet heel klein?
12 Die prachtige uitspraken die jullie deden, hebben evenveel waarde als as. Jullie verdediging is zo breekbaar als aardewerk!
13 Wees nu eens stil en laat mij eens wat zeggen, wat de gevolgen van mijn uitspraken ook mogen zijn.
14 Waarom denken jullie dat ik mijn leven in eigen hand neem en zeg wat ik denk?
15 God zou mij kunnen doden om wat ik zeg en eigenlijk verwacht ik ook dat Hij dat zal doen. Toch wil ik mijn zaak met Hem bespreken.
16 Ik heb daarbij het voordeel dat ik niet goddeloos ben, anders zou ik niet eens in zijn nabijheid kunnen komen.
17 Luister goed naar wat ik ga zeggen en laat mij uitspreken.
18 Mijn rechtszaak is zo goed als geregeld: ik weet dat ik in mijn recht sta.
19 Wie is dat niet met mij eens? Als je zou kunnen aantonen dat ik mij vergis, zou ik mijzelf niet verder verdedigen en liever meteen sterven.
20 O God, ik smeek U om twee dingen, alleen dan zal ik in staat zijn U onder ogen te komen.
21 Trek uw hand van mij terug en jaag mij geen angst aan voor uw oordeel.
22 Roep mij bij U en U zult zien hoe snel ik zal antwoorden. Of laat mij met U praten en U een antwoord geven.
23 Zeg mij toch wat ik precies verkeerd heb gedaan. Maak mij duidelijk wat mijn zonde is!
24 Waarom verbergt U Zich voor mij? Waarom houdt U mij voor een vijand?
25 Wilt U een weggewaaid blad opjagen of een droge strohalm vervolgen?
26 U beschuldigt mij van kwade dingen en haalt alle zonden uit mijn jeugd weer naar boven.
27,28 U sluit mij op, U gaat al mijn gangen na en beperkt mij in mijn bewegingsvrijheid. En dat bij iemand die toch al van binnen rot is en vergaat als een door motten aangevreten mantel.’
Job 13
King James Version
13 Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it.
2 What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.
3 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
4 But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.
5 O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.
6 Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
7 Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
8 Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?
9 Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?
10 He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.
11 Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?
12 Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.
13 Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.
14 Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?
15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
16 He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.
17 Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.
18 Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.
19 Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.
20 Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.
21 Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.
22 Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.
23 How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?
25 Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
26 For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.
27 Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.
28 And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.
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.
Job 13
English Standard Version
Job Continues: Still I Will Hope in God
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 (C)argue my case with God.
4 As for you, (D)you whitewash with lies;
(E)worthless physicians are you all.
5 Oh that you would (F)keep silent,
and it would be your wisdom!
6 Hear now my argument
and listen to the pleadings of my lips.
7 Will you (G)speak falsely for God
and speak (H)deceitfully for him?
8 Will you show partiality toward him?
Will you (I)plead the case for God?
9 Will it be well with you when he (J)searches you out?
Or (K)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 (L)majesty terrify you,
and the dread of him fall upon you?
12 Your maxims are proverbs of (M)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 (N)put my life in my hand?
15 (O)Though he slay me, I will (P)hope in him;[a]
yet I will (Q)argue my ways to his face.
16 This will be my salvation,
that the godless shall not come before him.
17 (R)Keep listening to my words,
and let my declaration be in your ears.
18 Behold, I have (S)prepared my case;
I know that I shall be in the right.
19 (T)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 (U)hide myself from your face:
21 (V)withdraw your hand far from me,
and let not (W)dread of you terrify me.
22 (X)Then call, and I will answer;
or let me speak, and you reply to me.
23 How many are my iniquities and my sins?
(Y)Make me know my transgression and my sin.
24 Why (Z)do you hide your face
and (AA)count me as your enemy?
25 Will you frighten (AB)a driven leaf
and pursue dry (AC)chaff?
26 For you (AD)write bitter things against me
and make me inherit (AE)the iniquities of my youth.
27 You put my feet in (AF)the stocks
and (AG)watch all my paths;
you set a limit for[b] the soles of my feet.
28 Man[c] wastes away like (AH)a rotten thing,
like a garment that is (AI)moth-eaten.
Het Boek Copyright © 1979, 1988, 2007 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
