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