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.

2What you know, I also know; I do ◄not know less than/know as much as► you.

3But 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►.

4As 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.

5I wish/desire that you would be silent; that would be the wisest thing that you could do.

6Listen to what I will say to you now; listen while I am saying what is true about myself.

7Are 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?

8Are you trying to defend him? Are you trying to prove as you would in a court that he is innocent?

9If he looks closely, will he find that everything that you have done is good? Or can you deceive him, like you deceive other people?

10If you secretly say/do things to cause God to act favorably toward you, he will surely rebuke you.

11He will certainly [RHQ] cause you to be terrified by his power/greatness; you will become extremely afraid.

12The 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.

14I am ready to endure anything; I am even willing to risk being executed [IDM, DOU] for what I will say.

15If 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.

16No 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].

18I am ready to prove that I am innocent, and I know that you also will declare that I am not guilty.

19I 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].

21The 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.

22You speak first, and then I will reply; or allow me to speak first, and then you reply.

23What have I done that is wrong? What sins have I committed? Show me how I have disobeyed you.

24Why ◄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?

25I 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]?

26It 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.

27It 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.

28As a result, my body is decaying like [SIM] rotten wood, like a piece of cloth that is eaten by larvae of moths.”