Chapter text
World English Bible
Verse-by-verse text with stable anchors, canonical chapter URLs, and copyable verse links.
- 1 “Behold, my eye has seen all this. My ear has heard and understood it.
- 2 What you know, I know also. I am not inferior to you.
- 3 “Surely I would speak to the Almighty. I desire to reason with God.
- 4 But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value.
- 5 Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise.
- 6 Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips.
- 7 Will you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him?
- 8 Will you show partiality to him? Will you contend for God?
- 9 Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him?
- 10 He will surely reprove you if you secretly show partiality.
- 11 Won’t his majesty make you afraid and his dread fall on you?
- 12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes. Your defenses are defenses of clay.
- 13 “Be silent! Leave me alone, that I may speak. Let come on me what will.
- 14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand?
- 15 Behold, he will kill me. I have no hope. Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him.
- 16 This also will be my salvation, that a godless man will not come before him.
- 17 Listen carefully to my speech. Let my declaration be in your ears.
- 18 See now, I have set my cause in order. I know that I am righteous.
- 19 Who is he who will contend with me? For then I would hold my peace and give up the spirit.
- 20 “Only don’t do two things to me, then I will not hide myself from your face:
- 21 withdraw your hand far from me, and don’t let your terror make me afraid.
- 22 Then call, and I will answer, or let me speak, and you answer me.
- 23 How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my disobedience and my sin.
- 24 Why do you hide your face, and consider me your enemy?
- 25 Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble?
- 26 For you write bitter things against me, and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
- 27 You also put my feet in the stocks, and mark all my paths. You set a bound to the soles of my feet,
- 28 though I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.