Job Defends Himself

13 “Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
(A)What you know, I also know;
I am not inferior to you.
(B)But I would speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to reason with God.
But you forgers of lies,
(C)You are all worthless physicians.
Oh, that you would be silent,
And (D)it would be your wisdom!
Now hear my reasoning,
And heed the pleadings of my lips.
(E)Will you speak [a]wickedly for God,
And talk deceitfully for Him?
Will you show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?
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 Speaks of Life’s Woes

14 “Man who is born of woman
Is of few days and (T)full of [g]trouble.
(U)He comes forth like a flower and fades away;
He flees like a shadow and does not continue.
And (V)do You open Your eyes on such a one,
And (W)bring [h]me to judgment with Yourself?
Who (X)can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?
No one!
(Y)Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.
(Z)Look away from him that he may [i]rest,
Till (AA)like a hired man he finishes his day.

“For there is hope for a tree,
If it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And that its tender shoots will not cease.
Though its root may grow old in the earth,
And its stump may die in the ground,
Yet at the scent of water it will bud
And bring forth branches like a plant.
10 But man dies and [j]is laid away;
Indeed he [k]breathes his last
And where is (AB)he?
11 As water disappears from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dries up,
12 So man lies down and does not rise.
(AC)Till the heavens are no more,
They will not awake
Nor be roused from their sleep.

13 “Oh, that You would hide me in the grave,
That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past,
That You would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man dies, shall he live again?
All the days of my hard service (AD)I will wait,
Till my change comes.
15 (AE)You shall call, and I will answer You;
You shall desire the work of Your hands.
16 For now (AF)You number my steps,
But do not watch over my sin.
17 (AG)My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And You [l]cover my iniquity.

18 “But as a mountain falls and crumbles away,
And as a rock is moved from its place;
19 As water wears away stones,
And as torrents wash away the soil of the earth;
So You destroy the hope of man.
20 You prevail forever against him, and he passes on;
You change his countenance and send him away.
21 His sons come to honor, and (AH)he does not know it;
They are brought low, and he does not perceive it.
22 But his flesh will be in pain over it,
And his soul will mourn over it.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 13:7 unrighteously
  2. Job 13:11 Lit. exaltation
  3. Job 13:13 Be silent
  4. Job 13:27 Lit. inscribe a print
  5. Job 13:27 Lit. roots
  6. Job 13:28 Lit. He
  7. Job 14:1 turmoil
  8. Job 14:3 LXX, Syr., Vg. him
  9. Job 14:6 Lit. cease
  10. Job 14:10 lies prostrate
  11. Job 14:10 expires
  12. Job 14:17 Lit. plaster over

13 “My eyes have seen all this,(A)
    my ears have heard and understood it.
What you know, I also know;
    I am not inferior to you.(B)
But I desire to speak to the Almighty(C)
    and to argue my case with God.(D)
You, however, smear me with lies;(E)
    you are worthless physicians,(F) all of you!(G)
If only you would be altogether silent!(H)
    For you, that would be wisdom.(I)
Hear now my argument;
    listen to the pleas of my lips.(J)
Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf?
    Will you speak deceitfully for him?(K)
Will you show him partiality?(L)
    Will you argue the case for God?
Would it turn out well if he examined you?(M)
    Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?(N)
10 He would surely call you to account
    if you secretly showed partiality.(O)
11 Would not his splendor(P) terrify you?
    Would not the dread of him fall on you?(Q)
12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes;
    your defenses are defenses of clay.(R)

13 “Keep silent(S) and let me speak;(T)
    then let come to me what may.(U)
14 Why do I put myself in jeopardy
    and take my life in my hands?(V)
15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope(W) in him;(X)
    I will surely[a] defend my ways to his face.(Y)
16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance,(Z)
    for no godless(AA) person would dare come before him!(AB)
17 Listen carefully to what I say;(AC)
    let my words ring in your ears.
18 Now that I have prepared my case,(AD)
    I know I will be vindicated.(AE)
19 Can anyone bring charges against me?(AF)
    If so, I will be silent(AG) and die.(AH)

20 “Only grant me these two things, God,
    and then I will not hide from you:
21 Withdraw your hand(AI) far from me,
    and stop frightening me with your terrors.(AJ)
22 Then summon me and I will answer,(AK)
    or let me speak, and you reply to me.(AL)
23 How many wrongs and sins have I committed?(AM)
    Show me my offense and my sin.(AN)
24 Why do you hide your face(AO)
    and consider me your enemy?(AP)
25 Will you torment(AQ) a windblown leaf?(AR)
    Will you chase(AS) after dry chaff?(AT)
26 For you write down bitter things against me
    and make me reap the sins of my youth.(AU)
27 You fasten my feet in shackles;(AV)
    you keep close watch on all my paths(AW)
    by putting marks on the soles of my feet.

28 “So man wastes away like something rotten,
    like a garment(AX) eaten by moths.(AY)

14 “Mortals, born of woman,(AZ)
    are of few days(BA) and full of trouble.(BB)
They spring up like flowers(BC) and wither away;(BD)
    like fleeting shadows,(BE) they do not endure.(BF)
Do you fix your eye on them?(BG)
    Will you bring them[b] before you for judgment?(BH)
Who can bring what is pure(BI) from the impure?(BJ)
    No one!(BK)
A person’s days are determined;(BL)
    you have decreed the number of his months(BM)
    and have set limits he cannot exceed.(BN)
So look away from him and let him alone,(BO)
    till he has put in his time like a hired laborer.(BP)

“At least there is hope for a tree:(BQ)
    If it is cut down, it will sprout again,
    and its new shoots(BR) will not fail.(BS)
Its roots may grow old in the ground
    and its stump(BT) die in the soil,
yet at the scent of water(BU) it will bud
    and put forth shoots like a plant.(BV)
10 But a man dies and is laid low;(BW)
    he breathes his last and is no more.(BX)
11 As the water of a lake dries up
    or a riverbed becomes parched and dry,(BY)
12 so he lies down and does not rise;(BZ)
    till the heavens are no more,(CA) people will not awake
    or be roused from their sleep.(CB)

13 “If only you would hide me in the grave(CC)
    and conceal me till your anger has passed!(CD)
If only you would set me a time
    and then remember(CE) me!(CF)
14 If someone dies, will they live again?
    All the days of my hard service(CG)
    I will wait for my renewal[c](CH) to come.
15 You will call and I will answer you;(CI)
    you will long for the creature your hands have made.(CJ)
16 Surely then you will count my steps(CK)
    but not keep track of my sin.(CL)
17 My offenses will be sealed(CM) up in a bag;(CN)
    you will cover over my sin.(CO)

18 “But as a mountain erodes and crumbles(CP)
    and as a rock is moved from its place,(CQ)
19 as water wears away stones
    and torrents(CR) wash away the soil,(CS)
    so you destroy a person’s hope.(CT)
20 You overpower them once for all, and they are gone;(CU)
    you change their countenance and send them away.(CV)
21 If their children are honored, they do not know it;
    if their offspring are brought low, they do not see it.(CW)
22 They feel but the pain of their own bodies(CX)
    and mourn only for themselves.(CY)

Footnotes

  1. Job 13:15 Or He will surely slay me; I have no hope — / yet I will
  2. Job 14:3 Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew me
  3. Job 14:14 Or release