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

Lo, all -- hath mine eye seen, Heard hath mine ear, and it attendeth to it.

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

According to your knowledge I have known -- also I. I am not fallen more than you.

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

Yet I for the Mighty One do speak, And to argue for God I delight.

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

And yet, ye forgers of falsehood, Physicians of nought -- all of you,

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

O that ye would keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom.

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

Hear, I pray you, my argument, And to the pleadings of my lips attend,

7 W ill ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?

For God do ye speak perverseness? And for Him do ye speak deceit?

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

His face do ye accept, if for God ye strive?

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

Is good that He doth search you, If, as one mocketh at a man, ye mock at Him?

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

He doth surely reprove you, if in secret ye accept faces.

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

Doth not His excellency terrify you? And His dread fall upon you?

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

Your remembrances similes of ashes, For high places of clay your heights.

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

Keep silent from me, and I speak, And pass over me doth what?

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

Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth? And my soul put in my hand?

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

Lo, He doth slay me -- I wait not! Only, my ways unto His face I argue.

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

Also -- He to me for salvation, For the profane cometh not before Him.

17 H ear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.

Hear ye diligently my word, And my declaration with your ears.

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

Lo, I pray you, I have set in order the cause, I have known that I am righteous.

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

Who he that doth strive with me? For now I keep silent and gasp.

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

Only two things, O God, do with me: Then from Thy face I am not hidden.

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

Thy hand put far off from me, And Thy terror let not terrify me.

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

And call Thou, and I -- I answer, Or -- I speak, and answer Thou me.

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

How many iniquities and sins have I? My transgression and my sin let me know.

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

Why dost Thou hide Thy face? And reckonest me for an enemy to Thee?

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

A leaf driven away dost Thou terrify? And the dry stubble dost Thou pursue?

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

For Thou writest against me bitter things, And causest me to possess iniquities of my youth:

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

And puttest in the stocks my feet, And observest all my paths, On the roots of my feet Thou settest a print,

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

And he, as a rotten thing, weareth away, As a garment hath a moth consumed him.