KJV 1 Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it. NIV 1 “My eyes have seen all this, my ears have heard and understood it. KJV 2 What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you. NIV 2 What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. KJV 3 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God. NIV 3 But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God. KJV 4 But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value. NIV 4 You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you! KJV 5 O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom. NIV 5 If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom. KJV 6 Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips. NIV 6 Hear now my argument; listen to the pleas of my lips. KJV 7 Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him? NIV 7 Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him? KJV 8 Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God? NIV 8 Will you show him partiality? Will you argue the case for God? KJV 9 Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him? NIV 9 Would it turn out well if he examined you? Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal? KJV 10 He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons. NIV 10 He would surely call you to account if you secretly showed partiality. KJV 11 Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you? NIV 11 Would not his splendor terrify you? Would not the dread of him fall on you? KJV 12 Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay. NIV 12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay. KJV 13 Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will. NIV 13 “Keep silent and let me speak; then let come to me what may. KJV 14 Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand? NIV 14 Why do I put myself in jeopardy and take my life in my hands? KJV 15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him. NIV 15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. KJV 16 He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him. NIV 16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless person would dare come before him! KJV 17 Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears. NIV 17 Listen carefully to what I say; let my words ring in your ears. KJV 18 Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified. NIV 18 Now that I have prepared my case, I know I will be vindicated. KJV 19 Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost. NIV 19 Can anyone bring charges against me? If so, I will be silent and die. KJV 20 Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee. NIV 20 “Only grant me these two things, God, and then I will not hide from you: KJV 21 Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid. NIV 21 Withdraw your hand far from me, and stop frightening me with your terrors. KJV 22 Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me. NIV 22 Then summon me and I will answer, or let me speak, and you reply to me. KJV 23 How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin. NIV 23 How many wrongs and sins have I committed? Show me my offense and my sin. KJV 24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy? NIV 24 Why do you hide your face and consider me your enemy? KJV 25 Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble? NIV 25 Will you torment a windblown leaf? Will you chase after dry chaff? KJV 26 For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth. NIV 26 For you write down bitter things against me and make me reap the sins of my youth. KJV 27 Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the heels of my feet. NIV 27 You fasten my feet in shackles; you keep close watch on all my paths by putting marks on the soles of my feet. KJV 28 And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten. NIV 28 “So man wastes away like something rotten, like a garment eaten by moths.
NIV 1 “My eyes have seen all this, my ears have heard and understood it. NIV 2 What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. NIV 3 But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God. NIV 4 You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you! NIV 5 If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom. NIV 6 Hear now my argument; listen to the pleas of my lips. NIV 7 Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him? NIV 8 Will you show him partiality? Will you argue the case for God? NIV 9 Would it turn out well if he examined you? Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal? NIV 10 He would surely call you to account if you secretly showed partiality. NIV 11 Would not his splendor terrify you? Would not the dread of him fall on you? NIV 12 Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay. NIV 13 “Keep silent and let me speak; then let come to me what may. NIV 14 Why do I put myself in jeopardy and take my life in my hands? NIV 15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. NIV 16 Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless person would dare come before him! NIV 17 Listen carefully to what I say; let my words ring in your ears. NIV 18 Now that I have prepared my case, I know I will be vindicated. NIV 19 Can anyone bring charges against me? If so, I will be silent and die. NIV 20 “Only grant me these two things, God, and then I will not hide from you: NIV 21 Withdraw your hand far from me, and stop frightening me with your terrors. NIV 22 Then summon me and I will answer, or let me speak, and you reply to me. NIV 23 How many wrongs and sins have I committed? Show me my offense and my sin. NIV 24 Why do you hide your face and consider me your enemy? NIV 25 Will you torment a windblown leaf? Will you chase after dry chaff? NIV 26 For you write down bitter things against me and make me reap the sins of my youth. NIV 27 You fasten my feet in shackles; you keep close watch on all my paths by putting marks on the soles of my feet. NIV 28 “So man wastes away like something rotten, like a garment eaten by moths.