Job 13

1 Lo, all — hath mine eye seen, Heard hath mine ear, and it attendeth to it.

“Hey, I [SYN] have seen everything [that you have seen], and I have heard and understood all [that you have said].

2 According to your knowledge I have known — also I. I am not fallen more than you.

What you know, I also know; I do (not know less than/know as much as) you.

3 Yet I for the Mighty One do speak, And to argue for God I delight.

But I would like to speak to Almighty God, [not to you]; I would like to argue with him [and prove that I (am innocent/have not done things that are wrong]).

4 And yet, ye [are] forgers of falsehood, Physicians of nought — all of you,

As for you, you do not allow people to know the truth about me, like someone covers [up a bad surface of a wall] with whitewash [MET]. You are all like doctors [MET] [that give people] useless [medicines].

5 O that ye would keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom.

I wish/desire that you would be silent; that would be the wisest thing that you [could do].

6 Hear, I pray you, my argument, And to the pleadings of my lips attend,

Listen to what I will say to you now; listen while I am saying [what is true about myself].

7 For God do ye speak perverseness? And for Him do ye speak deceit?

Are you telling lies about me to prove God [is just in causing me to suffer]? Are you saying what is deceitful in order to benefit him?

8 His face do ye accept, if for God ye strive?

Are you trying to defend him? Are you trying to prove [as you would] in a court that he is innocent?

9 Is [it] good that He doth search you, If, as one mocketh at a man, ye mock at Him?

If he looks closely, will he find that everything that you have done is good? Or can you deceive him, like you deceive other people?

10 He doth surely reprove you, if in secret ye accept faces.

If you secretly say/do things to cause God to act favorably toward you, he will surely rebuke you.

11 Doth not His excellency terrify you? And His dread fall upon you?

He will certainly [RHQ] cause you to be terrified by his power/greatness; you will become extremely afraid.

12 Your remembrances [are] similes of ashes, For high places of clay your heights.

The things that you say [that you think are] wise are [as useless as] [MET] as ashes; what you say to defend your opinions is no better than [MET] clay [that quickly crumbles].

13 Keep silent from me, and I speak, And pass over me doth what?

“So, be quiet and allow me to speak, and then it will not matter what happens to me.

14 Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth? And my soul put in my hand?

I am ready to endure anything; I am [even] willing to risk being executed [IDM, DOU] [for what I will say].

15 Lo, He doth slay me — I wait not! Only, my ways unto His face I argue.

If God kills me, then I will not have anyone else whom I can confidently expect to help me, but I am going to defend my behavior in his presence [anyway].

16 Also — He [is] to me for salvation, For the profane cometh not before Him.

No wicked/godless person would dare to stand in the presence of God, [but because I say that I have not done things that are wrong], perhaps, if I can prove that to God, he will save me.”

17 Hear ye diligently my word, And my declaration with your ears.

“God, listen very carefully to what I say [DOU].

18 Lo, I pray you, I have set in order the cause, I have known that I am righteous.

I am ready to prove that I am innocent, and I know that you also will declare that I am not guilty.

19 Who [is] he that doth strive with me? For now I keep silent and gasp.

I certainly do not think [RHQ] that [you or anyone else] will say that what I say is not true; if anyone did that, I would (be silent/stop talking) and die.

20 Only two things, O God, do with me: Then from Thy face I am not hidden.

“I am requesting you to do two things for me; if you do them, I will (not hide from you/come and stand in front of you) [LIT].

21 Thy hand put far off from me, And Thy terror let not terrify me.

[The first thing that I request is that you] stop punishing [IDM] me; and [the second thing that I request is that you] stop causing me to be very terrified.

22 And call Thou, and I — I answer, Or — I speak, and answer Thou me.

You speak [first], and then I will reply; or allow me to speak first, and [then] you reply.

23 How many iniquities and sins have I? My transgression and my sin let me know.

What have I done that is wrong? What sins have I committed? Show me how I have disobeyed you.

24 Why dost Thou hide Thy face? And reckonest me for an enemy to Thee?

Why (do you refuse to be friendly with/have you abandoned) me [IDM]? Why do you (act toward me as though I am/consider me to be) your enemy?

25 A leaf driven away dost Thou terrify? And the dry stubble dost Thou pursue?

I am [as insignificant as] [MET] a leaf that is blown by the wind; why are you trying to cause me to be afraid [RHQ]? Why are you pursuing me? Am I [useless, nothing more than a bit of] dry chaff [RHQ]?

26 For Thou writest against me bitter things, And causest me to possess iniquities of my youth:

[It seems that] you are writing things to accuse me [of doing things that are wrong], even recalling bad things that I did when I was young.

27 And puttest in the stocks my feet, And observest all my paths, On the roots of my feet Thou settest a print,

[It is as though] you have fastened my feet with chains [to prevent me from walking], and you watch me wherever I walk; [It is as though] you even look closely at my footprints [to see where I have gone].

28 And he, as a rotten thing, weareth away, As a garment hath a moth consumed him.

[As a result], my body is decaying like [SIM] rotten wood, like a piece of cloth that is eaten by [larvae of] moths.”