¹ Loe, mine eye hath seene all this: mine eare hath heard, and vnderstande it.

² I knowe also as much as you knowe: I am not inferiour vnto you.

³ But I will speake to the Almightie, and I desire to dispute with God.

⁴ For in deede ye forge lyes, and all you are physitions of no value.

⁵ Oh, that you woulde holde your tongue, that it might be imputed to you for wisedome!

⁶ Nowe heare my disputation, and giue eare to the arguments of my lips.

⁷ Will ye speake wickedly for Gods defence, and talke deceitfully for his cause?

⁸ Will ye accept his person? or will ye contende for God?

⁹ Is it well that he shoulde seeke of you? will you make a lye for him, as one lyeth for a man?

¹⁰ He will surely reprooue you, if ye doe secretly accept any person.

¹¹ Shall not his excellencie make you afraid? and his feare fall vpon you?

¹² Your memories may be compared vnto ashes, and your bodyes to bodyes of clay.

¹³ Holde your tongues in my presence, that I may speake, and let come vpon what will.

¹⁴ Wherefore doe I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my soule in mine hande?

¹⁵ Loe, though he slay me, yet will I trust in him, and I will reprooue my wayes in his sight.

¹⁶ He shalbe my saluation also: for the hypocrite shall not come before him.

¹⁷ Heare diligently my wordes, and marke my talke.

¹⁸ Beholde nowe: if I prepare me to iudgement, I knowe that I shalbe iustified.

¹⁹ Who is he, that will pleade with me? for if I nowe holde my tongue, I dye.

²⁰ But doe not these two things vnto me: then will I not hide my selfe from thee.

²¹ Withdrawe thine hande from me, and let not thy feare make me afraide.

²² Then call thou, and I will answere: or let me speake, and answere thou me.

²³ Howe many are mine iniquities and sinnes? shewe me my rebellion, and my sinne.

²⁴ Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and takest me for thine enemie?

²⁵ Wilt thou breake a leafe driuen to and from? and wilt thou pursue the drie stubble?

²⁶ For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth.

²⁷ Thou puttest my feete also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly vnto all my pathes, and makest the print thereof in ye heeles of my feet.

²⁸ Such one consumeth like a rotten thing, and as a garment that is motheaten.