Job's Fourth Speech Continues
Your Wisdom Misrepresents God
9 Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?
9 Will things go well for you under his cross-examination? Can you lie to him, as you would to a human being?
9 “Will it be well for you when He investigates you [and your tactics against me]?Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?
12 Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.
12 “Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,Your defenses are defenses of clay.
12 Your maxims are just worthless proverbs; your defensive arguments are made of clay."
12 “Your memorable sayings are [worthless, merely] proverbs of ashes;Your defenses are defenses of [crumbling] clay.
Be Quiet While I Speak
Job Speaks To God
17 Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.
17 “Listen carefully to my speech,And let my declaration fill your ears.
17 Pay close attention to my words;let my declaration ring in your ears.
17 Pay attention to what I have to say and listen to my testimony with your own ears."
17 “Listen diligently to my speech,And let my declaration fill your ears.
Job Argues His Case With God
20 Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.
20 “Only two things do not do to me,Then I will not hide from Your face:
20 Only grant these two things to me, God,so that I will not have to hide from Your presence:
20 Grant me only two things as you deal with me; then I won't hide from you.
20 “Only [O Lord,] do not do two things to me,And then I will not hide myself from Your face:
25 Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
25 Will You frighten a wind-driven leaf?Will You chase after dry straw?
25 Are you a god who would make a leaf tremble or who would prosecute a dry straw?
25 “Will You cause a windblown leaf to tremble?Will You pursue the chaff of the dry stubble?
26 For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.
26 “For You write (AD)bitter things against meAnd (AE)make me to inherit the iniquities of my youth.
26 For You record bitter accusations against meand make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
26 You've accused me of bitter things; you've caused me to reap the sins of my youth.
26 “For You write bitter things against me [in Your indictment]And make me inherit and suffer for the iniquities of my youth.
27 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.
27 “You (AF)put my feet in the stocksAnd watch all my paths;You (g)set a limit for the soles of my feet,
27 You put my feet in the stocksand stand watch over all my paths,setting a limit for the soles(f) of my feet.
27 You've locked my feet in stocks; you watch all my steps; You've limited where I can walk.
27 “You also put my feet in the stocks [as punishment]And [critically] observe all my paths;You set a circle and limit around the soles of my feet [which I must not overstep],