¹Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it.

²What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.

³Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

⁴But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.

⁵O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.

⁶Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.

⁷Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?

⁸Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?

⁹Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?

¹⁰He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.

¹¹Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?

¹²Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.

¹³Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.

¹⁴Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?

¹⁵Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

¹⁶He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

¹⁷Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.

¹⁸Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

¹⁹Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.

²⁰Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.

²¹Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.

²²Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.

²³How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.

²⁴Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?

²⁵Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?

²⁶For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.

²⁷Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet.

²⁸And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.