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Job Says His Friends' Proverbs Are Ashes

¹ "^(C1)Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.

² "^(C1)What you know I also know;
I am not inferior to you.

³ "But ^(C1)I would speak to ^(F1)the Almighty,
And I desire to ^(C2)argue with God.

⁴ "But you ^(C1)smear me with lies;
You are all ^(C2)worthless physicians.

⁵ "Oh that you would ^(C1)be completely silent,
And that it would become your wisdom!

⁶ "Please hear my argument,
And give your attention to the contentions of my lips.

⁷ "Will you ^(C1)speak what is unjust for God,
And speak what is deceitful for Him?

⁸ "Will you ^(C1)show partiality for Him?
Will you contend for God?

⁹ "Will it go well when He examines you?
Or ^(C1)will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?

¹⁰ "He will certainly punish you
If you secretly ^(C1)show partiality.

¹¹ "Will ^(C1)His ^(F1)majesty not terrify you,
And the dread of Him fall upon you?

¹² "Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,
Your defenses are defenses of clay.

Job Is Sure He Will Be Vindicated

¹³ "^(C1)Be silent before me so that I may speak;
Then let come upon me what may.

¹⁴ "Why should I take my flesh in my teeth,
And ^(C1)put my life in my ^(F1)hands?

¹⁵ "^(C1)Though He slay me,
I will ^(F1)hope in Him.
Nevertheless I ^(C2)will argue my ways ^(F2)before Him.

¹⁶ "This also will be my ^(C1)salvation,
For ^(C2)a godless person cannot come before His presence.

¹⁷ "Listen carefully to my speech,
And let my declaration fill your ears.

¹⁸ "Behold now, I have ^(C1)prepared my case;
I know that ^(C2)I will be vindicated.

¹⁹ "^(C1)Who could contend with me?
For then I would be silent and ^(C2)die.

²⁰ "Only two things I ask that You do not do to me,
Then I will not hide from Your face:

^21 (C1)Remove Your ^(F1)hand from me,
And may the dread of You not terrify me.

²² "Then call and ^(C1)I will answer;
Or let me speak, then reply to me.

²³ "^(C1)How many are my guilty deeds and sins?
Make known to me my wrongdoing and my sin.

²⁴ "Why do You ^(C1)hide Your face
And consider me ^(C2)Your enemy?

²⁵ "Will You scare away a ^(C1)scattered leaf?
Or will You pursue the dry ^(C2)chaff?

²⁶ "For You write ^(C1)bitter things against me
And ^(C2)make me inherit the guilty deeds of my youth.

²⁷ "You ^(C1)put my feet in the stocks
And watch all my paths;
You ^(F1)set a limit for the soles of my feet,

²⁸ While ^(F1)I am decaying like a ^(C1)rotten thing,
Like a garment that is moth-eaten.