¹Behold, my eye has seen everything;

My ear has heard it

And understood it.

²What you know,

I know too.

I am not inferior to you.

³But I would like to speak to the Almighty,

And I desire to reason with God.

⁴But you are fabricators of falsehood;

You are all physicians of no value.

⁵If only you would altogether keep silence;

For it would be wisdom to you.

⁶Hear, I pray, my reasoning,

And hearken to the contentions of my lips.

⁷Will you speak iniquitously to God ?

And speak deceitfully to him?

⁸Will you show partiality with him?

Or contend with God?

⁹Is it right that he should investigate you?

Or will you mock him as one mocks a man?

¹⁰He will certainly reprove you

If you secretly show partiality.

¹¹Will not his exalted position alarm you

And his fear fall upon you?

¹²Your weighty sayings are proverbs of ashes;

Your defences are defences of clay.

¹³Stop talking to me,

And I will speak.

Then let come what may

Come on me.

¹⁴Why do I take my flesh in my teeth

And put my life in my hands?

¹⁵ Look, I do not expect him to kill me,

But I will contend for my ways before him.

¹⁶He is also my salvation,

For no profane person can come into his presence.

¹⁷Hear my words attentively,

And heed my arguments in your ears.

¹⁸Look, I pray, I have set out my case;

I know I shall be justified.”

¹⁹“Who is it who would contend with me?

For if I now keep silence,

I will expire.

²⁰But avoid doing two things to me,

Then I need not be hidden from your presence.

²¹Remove your hand from me,

And do not alarm me with your foreboding.

²²Then call, and I will answer,

Or I will speak, and you can answer me.

²³How many iniquities and sins have I committed?

Make my transgression and my sin known to me.

²⁴Why do you hide your face

And consider me to be your enemy?

²⁵Will you put fear into a leaf

That is driven about?

Or will you pursue dry chaff?

²⁶For you indict me with bitter things,

And you load on me the iniquities of my youth,

²⁷Putting my feet in the stocks,

And watching all my paths closely,

And imprinting a mark on the soles of my feet,

²⁸Each of which wastes away like rot,

As a moth eats a garment.