Job

¹“Behold, my eye has seen all this. My ear has heard and understood it. ²What you know, I know also. I am not inferior to you. ³“Surely I would speak to the Almighty. I desire to reason with God. ⁴But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value. ⁵Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise. ⁶Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips. ⁷Will you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him? ⁸Will you show partiality to him? Will you contend for God? ⁹Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him? ¹⁰He will surely reprove you if you secretly show partiality. ¹¹Won’t his majesty make you afraid and his dread fall on you? ¹²Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes. Your defenses are defenses of clay. ¹³“Be silent! Leave me alone, that I may speak. Let come on me what will. ¹⁴Why should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand? ¹⁵Behold, he will kill me. I have no hope. Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him. ¹⁶This also will be my salvation, that a godless man will not come before him. ¹⁷Listen carefully to my speech. Let my declaration be in your ears. ¹⁸See now, I have set my cause in order. I know that I am righteous. ¹⁹Who is he who will contend with me? For then I would hold my peace and give up the spirit. ²⁰“Only don’t do two things to me, then I will not hide myself from your face: ²¹withdraw your hand far from me, and don’t let your terror make me afraid. ²²Then call, and I will answer, or let me speak, and you answer me. ²³How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my disobedience and my sin. ²⁴Why do you hide your face, and consider me your enemy? ²⁵Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble? ²⁶For you write bitter things against me, and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth. ²⁷You also put my feet in the stocks, and mark all my paths. You set a bound to the soles of my feet, ²⁸though I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.