Chapter 13. Behold my eye has seen all this my ear Has heard and understood it What you know I also know I am not Inferior to you But I would speak to the Almighty And I desire to reason with God But you forgiers of Lies You are all worthless Physicians Oh that you would be silent and it would Be your wisdom Now hear my reasoning and heed the Pleading of my lips Will you speak wickedly for God and talk Deceitfully for him Will you show partiality for him Will you contend for God Will it be well when he searches you out Or can you mock him as one mocks a man He will surely rebuke you if you Secretly show partiality Will not his Excellence make you afraid And the dread of him fall upon you Your platitudes are Proverbs of Ashes Your defenses are defenses of clay Hold your peace with me and let me speak Then let come on me what may Why do I take my flesh in my teeth and Put my life in my hands Though he slay me Yet will I trust him Even so I will defend my own ways before him He also shall be my salvation for a
Hypocrite could not come before him Listen carefully to my speech And to my declaration with your ears See now I have prepared my case I know that I shall be Vindicated Who is he who will contend with me If now I hold my tongue I perish Only two things do not do to me Then I will not hide myself from you Withdraw your hand far from me and let Not the dread of you make me afraid Then call And I will answer Or let me speak then you respond to me How many are my iniquities and sins Make me know my transgression and my sin Why do you hide your face and regard me As your enemy Will you frighten a leaf driven to and Fro And will you pursue dry stubble For you write bitter things against me And make me inherit the iniquities of my Youth You put my feet in the stocks and watch Closely all my paths You set a limit for The Souls of my feet Man decays like a rotten thing like a Garment that is Moth eaten