Online Bible

Job Says His Friends’ Proverbs Are Ashes

“^aBehold, my eye has seen all this,My ear has heard and understood it.2 “^aWhat you know I also know;I am not inferior to you.

3 “But ^aI would speak to ¹the Almighty,And I desire to ^bargue with God.4 “But you ^asmear me with lies;You are all ^bworthless physicians.5 “Oh that you would ^abe 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 ^aspeak what is unjust for God,And speak what is deceitful for Him?8 “Will you ^ashow partiality for Him?Will you contend for God?9 “Will it go well when He examines you?Or ^awill you deceive Him as one deceives a man?10 “He will certainly punish youIf you secretly ^ashow partiality.11 “Will ^aHis ¹majesty 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 “^aBe 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 ^aput my life in my ¹hands?15 “^aThough He slay me,I will ¹hope in Him.Nevertheless I ^bwill argue my ways ²before Him.16 “This also will be my ^asalvation,For ^ba 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 ^aprepared my case;I know that ^bI will be vindicated.19 “^aWho could contend with me?For then I would be silent and ^bdie.

20 “Only two things I ask that You do not do to me,Then I will not hide from Your face:21 ^aRemove Your ¹hand from me,And may the dread of You not terrify me.22 “Then call and ^aI will answer;Or let me speak, then reply to me.23 “^aHow many are my guilty deeds and sins?Make known to me my wrongdoing and my sin.24 “Why do You ^ahide Your faceAnd consider me ^bYour enemy?25 “Will You scare away a ^ascattered leaf?Or will You pursue the dry ^bchaff?26 “For You write ^abitter things against meAnd ^bmake me inherit the guilty deeds of my youth.27 “You ^aput my feet in the stocksAnd watch all my paths;You ¹set a limit for the soles of my feet,28 While ¹I am decaying like a ^arotten thing,Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

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Job Says His Friends’ Proverbs Are Ashes

“^aBehold, my eye has seen all this,My ear has heard and understood it.2 “^aWhat you know I also know;I am not inferior to you.

3 “But ^aI would speak to ¹the Almighty,And I desire to ^bargue with God.4 “But you ^asmear with lies;You are all ^bworthless physicians.5 “O that you would ^abe completely silent,And that it would become your wisdom!6 “Please hear my argumentAnd listen to the contentions of my lips.7 “Will you ^aspeak what is unjust for God,And speak what is deceitful for Him?8 “Will you ^ashow partiality for Him?Will you contend for God?9 “Will it be well when He examines you?Or ^awill you deceive Him as one deceives a man?10 “He will surely reprove youIf you secretly ^ashow partiality.11 “Will not ^aHis ¹majesty terrify you,And the dread of Him fall on you?12 “Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes,Your defenses are defenses of clay.

Job Is Sure He Will Be Vindicated

13 “^aBe silent before me so that I may speak;Then let come on me what may.14 “Why should I take my flesh in my teethAnd ^aput my life in my ¹hands?15 “^aThough He slay me,I will hope in Him.Nevertheless I ^bwill argue my ways ¹before Him.16 “This also will be my ^asalvation,For ^ba godless man may not come before His presence.17 “Listen carefully to my speech,And let my declaration fill your ears.18 “Behold now, I have ^aprepared my case;I know that ^bI will be vindicated.19 “^aWho will contend with me?For then I would be silent and ^bdie.

20 “Only two things do not do to me,Then I will not hide from Your face:21 ^aRemove Your ¹hand from me,And let not the dread of You terrify me.22 “Then call, and ^aI will answer;Or let me speak, then reply to me.23 “^aHow many are my iniquities and sins?Make known to me my ¹rebellion and my sin.24 “Why do You ^ahide Your faceAnd consider me ^bYour enemy?25 “Will You cause a ^adriven leaf to tremble?Or will You pursue the dry ^bchaff?26 “For You write ^abitter things against meAnd ^bmake me to inherit the iniquities of my youth.27 “You ^aput my feet in the stocksAnd watch all my paths;You ¹set a limit for the soles of my feet,28 While ¹I am decaying like a ^arotten thing,Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

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Job Says His Friends’ Proverbs Are Ashes

Job continued: “^aBehold, my eye has seen all this,My ear has heard and understood it.2 “^aWhat you know I also know;I am not inferior to you.

3 “But ^aI wish to speak to ¹the Almighty,And I desire to ^bargue with God.4 “But you ^asmear me with lies you defame my character most untruthfully;You are all ^bworthless physicians and have no remedy to offer.5 “Oh, that you would ^abe completely silent,And that silence would be your wisdom!6 “Please hear my argumentAnd listen to the pleadings of my lips.7 “Will you ^aspeak what is unjust for God,And speak what is deceitful for Him?8 “Will you ^ashow 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 ^aone deceives a man?10 “He will surely reprimand youIf you secretly ^ashow partiality.11 “Will not ^aHis 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.

Job Is Sure He Will Be Vindicated

13 “^aBe silent before me so that I may speak;And let happen to me what may.14 “Why should I take my flesh in my teethAnd ^aput my life in my hands incurring the wrath of God?15 “^aEven though He kills me;I will hope in Him.Nevertheless, I ^bwill argue my ways to His face.16 “This also will be my ^asalvation,For ^ba 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 ^aprepared my case;I know that ^bI will be vindicated.19 “^aWho will argue and contend with me?For then I would be silent and ^bdie.

20 “Only O Lord, do not do two things to me,And then I will not hide myself from Your face:21 ^aWithdraw Your hand from me and remove this bodily suffering,And let not the dread of You terrify me.22 “Then Lord, call, and ^aI will answer;Or let me speak, and then reply to me.23 “^aHow many are my iniquities and sins that so much sorrow should come to me?Make me recognize and understand my transgression and my sin. Rom 8:124 “Why do You ^ahide Your face as if offendedAnd consider me ^bYour enemy?25 “Will You cause a windblown leaf ^ato tremble?Will You pursue the ^bchaff of the dry stubble?26 “For You write ^abitter things against me in Your indictmentAnd ^bmake me inherit and suffer for the iniquities of my youth.27 “You also ^aput my feet in the stocks as punishmentAnd critically observe all my paths;You set a circle and limit around the soles of my feet which I must not overstep,28 While I waste away like a ^arotten thing,Like a garment that is moth-eaten.