| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1“Behold, my eye has seen all this, My ear has heard and understood it. | 1"Indeed, my eyes have seen all this, my ears have heard and understood it. |
| 2What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you. | 2What you know, I know also; I am not inferior to you! |
| 3But I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God. | 3But I wish to speak to the Almighty, and I desire to argue my case with God. |
| 4But you forgers of lies, You are all worthless physicians. | 4But you, however, are inventors of lies; all of you are worthless physicians! |
| 5Oh, that you would be silent, And it would be your wisdom! | 5If only you would keep completely silent! For you, that would be wisdom. |
| 6Now hear my reasoning, And heed the pleadings of my lips. | 6"Listen now to my argument, and be attentive to my lips' contentions. |
| 7Will you speak wickedly for God, And talk deceitfully for Him? | 7Will you speak wickedly on God's behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him? |
| 8Will you show partiality for Him? Will you contend for God? | 8Will you show him partiality? Will you argue the case for God? |
| 9Will it be well when He searches you out? Or can you mock Him as one mocks a man? | 9Would it turn out well if he would examine you? Or as one deceives a man would you deceive him? |
| 10He will surely rebuke you If you secretly show partiality. | 10He would certainly rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality! |
| 11Will not His excellence make you afraid, And the dread of Him fall upon you? | 11Would not his splendor terrify you and the fear he inspires fall on you? |
| 12Your platitudes are proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay. | 12Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay. |
| 13“Hold your peace with me, and let me speak, Then let come on me what may! | 13"Refrain from talking with me so that I may speak; then let come to me what may. |
| 14Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hands? | 14Why do I put myself in peril, and take my life in my hands? |
| 15Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. | 15Even if he slays me, I will hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face! |
| 16He also shall be my salvation, For a hypocrite could not come before Him. | 16Moreover, this will become my deliverance, for no godless person would come before him. |
| 17Listen carefully to my speech, And to my declaration with your ears. | 17Listen carefully to my words; let your ears be attentive to my explanation. |
| 18See now, I have prepared my case, I know that I shall be vindicated. | 18See now, I have prepared my case; I know that I am right. |
| 19Who is he who will contend with me? If now I hold my tongue, I perish. | 19Who will contend with me? If anyone can, I will be silent and die. |
| 20“Only two things do not do to me, Then I will not hide myself from You: | 20Only in two things spare me, O God, and then I will not hide from your face: |
| 21Withdraw Your hand far from me, And let not the dread of You make me afraid. | 21Remove your hand far from me and stop making me afraid with your terror. |
| 22Then call, and I will answer; Or let me speak, then You respond to me. | 22Then call, and I will answer, or I will speak, and you respond to me. |
| 23How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin. | 23How many are my iniquities and sins? Show me my transgression and my sin. |
| 24Why do You hide Your face, And regard me as Your enemy? | 24Why do you hide your face and regard me as your enemy? |
| 25Will You frighten a leaf driven to and fro? And will You pursue dry stubble? | 25Do you wish to torment a windblown leaf and chase after dry chaff? |
| 26For You write bitter things against me, And make me inherit the iniquities of my youth. | 26For you write down bitter things against me and cause me to inherit the sins of my youth. |
| 27You put my feet in the stocks, And watch closely all my paths. You set a limit for the soles of my feet. | 27And you put my feet in the stocks and you watch all my movements; you put marks on the soles of my feet. |
| 28“Man decays like a rotten thing, Like a garment that is moth-eaten. | 28So I waste away like something rotten, like a garment eaten by moths. |
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