1 L o, all -- hath mine eye seen, Heard hath mine ear, and it attendeth to it.

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

2 A ccording to your knowledge I have known -- also I. I am not fallen more than you.

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

3 Y et I for the Mighty One do speak, And to argue for God I delight.

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

4 A nd yet, ye forgers of falsehood, Physicians of nought -- all of you,

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

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

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

6 H ear, I pray you, my argument, And to the pleadings of my lips attend,

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

7 F or God do ye speak perverseness? And for Him do ye speak deceit?

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

8 H is face do ye accept, if for God ye strive?

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

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

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

10 H e doth surely reprove you, if in secret ye accept faces.

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

11 D oth not His excellency terrify you? And His dread fall upon you?

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

12 Y our remembrances similes of ashes, For high places of clay your heights.

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

13 K eep silent from me, and I speak, And pass over me doth what?

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

14 W herefore do I take my flesh in my teeth? And my soul put in my hand?

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

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

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

16 A lso -- He to me for salvation, For the profane cometh not before Him.

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

17 H ear ye diligently my word, And my declaration with your ears.

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

18 L o, I pray you, I have set in order the cause, I have known that I am righteous.

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

19 W ho he that doth strive with me? For now I keep silent and gasp.

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

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

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

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

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

22 A nd call Thou, and I -- I answer, Or -- I speak, and answer Thou me.

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

23 H ow many iniquities and sins have I? My transgression and my sin let me know.

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

24 W hy dost Thou hide Thy face? And reckonest me for an enemy to Thee?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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