1 L o, mine eye hath seen all, mine ear hath heard and understood it.

“Behold, my eye has seen all this, My ear has heard and understood it.

2 W hat ye know, I know also: I am not inferior to you.

What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.

3 B ut I will speak to the Almighty, and will find pleasure in reasoning with God;

But I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God.

4 F or ye indeed are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.

But you forgers of lies, You are all worthless physicians.

5 O h that ye would be altogether silent! and it would be your wisdom.

Oh, that you would be silent, And it would be your wisdom!

6 H ear now my defence, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.

Now hear my reasoning, And heed the pleadings of my lips.

7 W ill ye speak unrighteously for God? and for him speak deceit?

Will you speak wickedly for God, And talk deceitfully for Him?

8 W ill ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?

Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God?

9 W ill it be well if he should search you out? or as one mocketh at a man, will ye mock at him?

Will it be well when He searches you out? Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man?

10 H e will certainly reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.

He will surely rebuke you If you secretly show partiality.

11 S hall not his excellency terrify you? and his dread fall upon you?

Will not His excellence make you afraid, And the dread of Him fall upon you?

12 Y our memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, your bulwarks are bulwarks of mire.

Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay.

13 H old your peace from me, and I will speak, and let come on me what!

“Hold your peace with me, and let me speak, Then let come on me what may!

14 W herefore should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand?

Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hands?

15 B ehold, if he slay me, yet would I trust in him; but I will defend mine own ways before him.

Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him.

16 T his also shall be my salvation, that a profane man shall not come before his face.

He also shall be my salvation, For a hypocrite could not come before Him.

17 H ear attentively my speech and my declaration with your ears.

Listen carefully to my speech, And to my declaration with your ears.

18 B ehold now, I have ordered the cause; I know that I shall be justified.

See now, I have prepared my case, I know that I shall be vindicated.

19 W ho is he that contendeth with me? For if I were silent now, I should expire.

Who is he who will contend with me? If now I hold my tongue, I perish. Job’s Despondent Prayer

20 O nly do not two things unto me; then will I not hide myself from thee.

“Only two things do not do to me, Then I will not hide myself from You:

21 W ithdraw thy hand far from me; and let not thy terror make me afraid:

Withdraw Your hand far from me, And let not the dread of You make me afraid.

22 T hen call, and I will answer; or I will speak, and answer thou me.

Then call, and I will answer; Or let me speak, then You respond to me.

23 H ow many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin.

How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin.

24 W herefore dost thou hide thy face, and countest me for thine enemy?

Why do You hide Your face, And regard me as Your enemy?

25 W ilt thou terrify a driven leaf? and wilt thou pursue dry stubble?

Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro? And will You pursue dry stubble?

26 F or thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth;

For You write bitter things against me, And make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.

27 A nd thou puttest my feet in the stocks, and markest all my paths; thou settest a bound about the soles of my feet;—

You put my feet in the stocks, And watch closely all my paths. You set a limit for the soles of my feet.

28 O ne who, as a rotten thing consumeth, as a garment that the moth eateth.

“ Man decays like a rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.