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

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

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

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

3 B ut I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God.

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

4 B ut you forgers of lies, You are all worthless physicians.

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

5 O h, that you would be silent, And it would be your wisdom!

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

6 N ow hear my reasoning, And heed the pleadings of my lips.

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

7 W ill you speak wickedly for God, And talk deceitfully for Him?

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

8 W ill you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God?

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

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

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

10 H e will surely rebuke you If you secretly show partiality.

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

11 W ill not His excellence make you afraid, And the dread of Him fall upon you?

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

12 Y our platitudes are proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay.

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

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

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

14 W hy do I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hands?

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

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

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

16 H e also shall be my salvation, For a hypocrite could not come before Him.

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

17 L isten carefully to my speech, And to my declaration with your ears.

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

18 S ee now, I have prepared my case, I know that I shall be vindicated.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

24 W hy do You hide Your face, And regard me as Your enemy?

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

25 W ill You frighten a leaf driven to and fro? And will You pursue dry stubble?

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

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

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

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

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

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