Job 13:1-19 - Job's Fourth Speech Continues

¹ [Job continued:] “Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.
²
“What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you. ³
“But I wish to speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to argue with God.
⁴
“But you smear me with lies [you defame my character most untruthfully];
You are all worthless physicians and have no remedy to offer.
⁵
“Oh, that you would be completely silent,
And that silence would be your wisdom!

⁶
“Please hear my argument
And listen to the pleadings of my lips.
⁷
“Will you speak what is unjust for God,
And speak what is deceitful for Him?
⁸
“Will you show partiality for Him [and be unjust to me so that you may gain favor with Him]?
Will you contend and plead for God?
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?
¹⁰
“He will surely reprimand you
If you secretly show partiality.
¹¹
“Will not His majesty terrify you,
And will not the dread of Him fall upon you?
¹²
“Your memorable sayings are [worthless, merely] proverbs of ashes;
Your defenses are defenses of [crumbling] clay.

¹³
“Be silent before me so that I may speak;
And let happen to me what may.
¹⁴
“Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
And put my life in my hands [incurring the wrath of God]?
¹⁵
“Even though He kills me;
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless, I will argue my ways to His face.
¹⁶
“This also will be my salvation,
For a godless man may not come before Him.
¹⁷
“Listen diligently to my speech,
And let my declaration fill your ears.
¹⁸
“Behold now, I have prepared my case;
I know that I will be vindicated.
¹⁹
“Who will argue and contend with me?
For then I would be silent and die.