13
Job continued his reply
1 “Hey, I [SYN] have seen everything that you have seen,
and I have heard and understood all that you have said.
2 What you know, I also know;
I do ◄not know less than/know as much as► you.
3 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 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 I wish/desire that you would be silent;
that would be the wisest thing that you could do.
6 Listen to what I will say to you now;
listen while I am saying what is true about myself.
7 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 Are you trying to defend him?
Are you trying to prove as you would in a court that he is innocent?
9 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 If you secretly say/do things to cause God to act favorably toward you,
he will surely rebuke you.
11 He will certainly [RHQ] cause you to be terrified by his power/greatness;
you will become extremely afraid.
12 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 “So, be quiet and allow me to speak,
and then it will not matter what happens to me.
14 I am ready to endure anything;
I am even willing to risk being executed [IDM, DOU] for what I will say.
15 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 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.”
Job asks God to tell him what his charges are
17 “God, listen very carefully to what I say [DOU].
18 I am ready to prove that I am innocent,
and I know that you also will declare that I am not guilty.
19 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 “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 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 You speak first, and then I will reply;
or allow me to speak first, and then you reply.
23 What have I done that is wrong? What sins have I committed?
Show me how I have disobeyed you.
24 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 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 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 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 As a result, my body is decaying like [SIM] rotten wood,
like a piece of cloth that is eaten by larvae of moths.”