“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.
What you know, I know also. I am not inferior to you.
What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.
“Surely I would speak to the Almighty. I desire to reason with God.
Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value.
But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.
Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise.
O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.
Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips.
Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
Will you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him?
Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
Will you show partiality to him? Will you contend for God?
Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?
Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him?
Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?
He will surely reprove you if you secretly show partiality.
He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.
Won’t his majesty make you afraid and his dread fall on you?
Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?
Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes. Your defenses are defenses of clay.
Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.
“Be silent! Leave me alone, that I may speak. Let come on me what will.
Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will .
Why should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand?
Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?
Behold, he will kill me. I have no hope. Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him.
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
This also will be my salvation, that a godless man will not come before him.
He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.
Listen carefully to my speech. Let my declaration be in your ears.
Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.
See now, I have set my cause in order. I know that I am righteous.
Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.
Who is he who will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the spirit.
Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.
“Only don’t do two things to me, then I will not hide myself from your face:
Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.
withdraw your hand far from me, and don’t let your terror make me afraid.
Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.
Then call, and I will answer, or let me speak, and you answer me.
Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.
How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my disobedience and my sin.
How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.
Why do you hide your face, and consider me your enemy?
Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?
Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble?
Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
For 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.
You also put my feet in the stocks, and mark all my paths. You set a bound to 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.
though I am decaying 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.