1. |
Lo, all -- hath mine eye seen, Heard hath mine ear, and it attendeth to it. |
2. |
According to your knowledge I have known -- also I. I am not fallen more than you. |
3. |
Yet I for the Mighty One do speak, And to argue for God I delight. |
4. |
And yet, ye `are' forgers of falsehood, Physicians of nought -- all of you, |
5. |
O that ye would keep perfectly silent, And it would be to you for wisdom. |
6. |
Hear, I pray you, my argument, And to the pleadings of my lips attend, |
7. |
For God do ye speak perverseness? And for Him do ye speak deceit? |
8. |
His face do ye accept, if for God ye strive? |
9. |
Is `it' good that He doth search you, If, as one mocketh at a man, ye mock at Him? |
10. |
He doth surely reprove you, if in secret ye accept faces. |
11. |
Doth not His excellency terrify you? And His dread fall upon you? |
12. |
Your remembrances `are' similes of ashes, For high places of clay your heights. |
13. |
Keep silent from me, and I speak, And pass over me doth what? |
14. |
Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth? And my soul put in my hand? |
15. |
Lo, He doth slay me -- I wait not! Only, my ways unto His face I argue. |
16. |
Also -- He `is' to me for salvation, For the profane cometh not before Him. |
17. |
Hear ye diligently my word, And my declaration with your ears. |
18. |
Lo, I pray you, I have set in order the cause, I have known that I am righteous. |
19. |
Who `is' he that doth strive with me? For now I keep silent and gasp. |
20. |
Only two things, O God, do with me: Then from Thy face I am not hidden. |
21. |
Thy hand put far off from me, And Thy terror let not terrify me. |
22. |
And call Thou, and I -- I answer, Or -- I speak, and answer Thou me. |
23. |
How many iniquities and sins have I? My transgression and my sin let me know. |
24. |
Why dost Thou hide Thy face? And reckonest me for an enemy to Thee? |
25. |
A leaf driven away dost Thou terrify? And the dry stubble dost Thou pursue? |
26. |
For Thou writest against me bitter things, And causest me to possess iniquities of my youth: |
27. |
And puttest in the stocks my feet, And observest all my paths, On the roots of my feet Thou settest a print, |
28. |
And he, as a rotten thing, weareth away, As a garment hath a moth consumed him. |