Job 13

Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it.

1Look, my own eyes have seen all of this. My ears have heard it, and I understood it.

2What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.

2Whatever you know, I know it too. I am not less than any of you.

3Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

3But I want to speak to the Almighty, God who has all power. I want to argue my case with him.

4But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.

4You cover things over with lies. You are all like doctors who cannot make anyone well.

5O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.

5I wish you would all be quiet. Staying quiet would be the wise thing to do.

6Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.

6Now listen to my side of this. Listen to what I am asking for.

7Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?

7Will you tell lies and say they are for God? Will you speak in tricky ways for him?

8Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?

8Will you take his side no matter what is true? Will you argue the case for God?

9Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?

9Would it go well for you if God looked closely at you? Can you fool him the way people fool each other?

10He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.

10He would surely tell you that you were wrong. He would know if you secretly took sides.

11Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?

11His greatness would frighten you. Fear of him would fall on you.

12Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.

12Your wise sayings are worth no more than ashes. Your answers are weak, like walls made of soft clay.

13Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.

13Be quiet and leave me alone. Let me speak. Then let whatever comes, come.

14Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?

14Why do I put myself in such danger? I hold my own life in my hands.

NoteThe old wording says Job takes his flesh in his teeth and his life in his hands. Both were sayings that meant taking a big risk.

15Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

15Even if God kills me, I will still hope in him. I will still defend what I have done, right to his face.

16He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

16This itself will save me. No one who ignores God would dare come near him.

17Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.

17Listen carefully to my words. Let what I say fill your ears.

18Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

18Look, I have my case ready now. I know I will be shown to be right.

19Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.

19Can anyone bring a charge against me? If someone can, I will be quiet and die.

Note"Give up the ghost" is an old way of saying "die."

20Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.

20God, give me just two things. Then I will not need to hide from you.

21Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.

21Take your heavy hand off me. Do not let fear of you frighten me.

22Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.

22Then you call, and I will answer. Or let me speak, and you answer me.

23How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.

23How many wrongs and sins have I done? Show me what I did wrong.

24Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?

24Why do you hide your face from me? Why do you treat me like your enemy?

25Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?

25Would you scare a leaf blown about by the wind? Would you chase after dry straw?

26For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.

26You write down bitter charges against me. You make me pay for the wrongs I did when I was young.

27Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.

27You lock my feet in wooden blocks. You watch every path I walk. You mark the ground where my feet may go.

NoteStocks were heavy wooden blocks locked around a prisoner's feet so he could not walk away.

28And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.

28So a person wears out like something rotten. He is like a coat eaten full of holes by moths.