Study Desk

"^(C1)Behold, my eye has seen all this, My ear has heard and understood it.

-"^(C1)What you know I also know; I am not inferior to you.

"But ^(C1)I would speak to ^(F1)the Almighty, And I desire to ^(C2)argue with God.

-"But you ^(C1)smear me with lies; You are all ^(C2)worthless physicians.

-"Oh that you would ^(C1)be completely silent, And that it would become your wisdom!

-"Please hear my argument, And give your attention to the contentions of my lips.

-"Will you ^(C1)speak what is unjust for God, And speak what is deceitful for Him?

-"Will you ^(C1)show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God?

-"Will it go well when He examines you? Or ^(C1)will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?

-"He will certainly punish you If you secretly ^(C1)show partiality.

-"Will ^(C1)His ^(F1)majesty not terrify you, And the dread of Him fall upon you?

-"Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay.

"^(C1)Be silent before me so that I may speak; Then let come upon me what may.

-"Why should I take my flesh in my teeth, And ^(C1)put my life in my ^(F1)hands?

-"^(C1)Though He slay me, I will ^(F1)hope in Him. Nevertheless I ^(C2)will argue my ways ^(F2)before Him.

-"This also will be my ^(C1)salvation, For ^(C2)a godless person cannot come before His presence.

-"Listen carefully to my speech, And let my declaration fill your ears.

-"Behold now, I have ^(C1)prepared my case; I know that ^(C2)I will be vindicated.

-"^(C1)Who could contend with me? For then I would be silent and ^(C2)die.

"Only two things I ask that You do not do to me, Then I will not hide from Your face:

^(C1)Remove Your ^(F1)hand from me, And may the dread of You not terrify me.

-"Then call and ^(C1)I will answer; Or let me speak, then reply to me.

-"^(C1)How many are my guilty deeds and sins? Make known to me my wrongdoing and my sin.

-"Why do You ^(C1)hide Your face And consider me ^(C2)Your enemy?

-"Will You scare away a ^(C1)scattered leaf? Or will You pursue the dry ^(C2)chaff?

-"For You write ^(C1)bitter things against me And ^(C2)make me inherit the guilty deeds of my youth.

-"You ^(C1)put my feet in the stocks And watch all my paths; You ^(F1)set a limit for the soles of my feet,

While ^(F1)I am decaying like a ^(C1)rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.

"^(C1)Man, who is born of woman, Is ^(F1)short-lived and ^(C2)full of turmoil.

-"^(C1)Like a flower he comes out and withers. He also flees like ^(C2)a shadow and does not remain.

-"You also ^(C1)open Your eyes on him And ^(C2)bring ^(F1)him into judgment with Yourself.

-"^(C1)Who can make the clean out of the unclean? No one!

-"Since his days are determined, The ^(C1)number of his months is with You; And You have ^(F1)set his limits so that he cannot pass.

-"^(C1)Look away from him so that he may ^(F1)rest, Until he ^(F2)fulfills his day like a hired worker.

"For there is hope for a tree, When it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And its shoots will not ^(F1)fail.

-"Though its roots grow old in the ground, And its stump dies in the dry soil,

At the scent of water it will flourish And produce sprigs like a plant.

-"But ^(C1)a man dies and lies prostrate. A person ^(C2)passes away, and where is he?

-"As ^(C1)water ^(F1)evaporates from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dried up,

So ^(C1)a man lies down and does not rise. Until the heavens no longer exist, ^(F1)He will not awake nor be woken from ^(F2)his sleep.

"Oh that You would hide me in ^(F1)Sheol, That You would conceal me ^(C1)until Your wrath returns to You, That You would set a limit for me and remember me!

-"If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my struggle I will wait Until my relief comes.

-"You will call, and I will answer You; You will long for ^(C1)the work of Your hands.

-"For now You ^(C1)number my steps, You do not ^(C2)observe my sin.

-"My wrongdoing is ^(C1)sealed up in a bag, And You cover over my ^(F1)guilt.

"But the falling mountain ^(F1)crumbles away, And the rock moves from its place;

Water wears away stones, Its torrents wash away the dust of the earth; So You ^(C1)destroy a man's hope.

-"You forever overpower him and he ^(C1)departs; You change his appearance and send him away.

-"His sons achieve honor, but ^(C1)he does not know it; Or they become insignificant, and he does not perceive it.

-"However, his ^(F1)body pains him, And his soul mourns for himself."