Job 13: I Will Argue With God
Job turns from his worthless physicians to plead his case directly with the Almighty, declaring he will hope in God even if God slays him.
Job 13 (WEB)
1 “Behold, my eye has seen all this. My ear has heard and understood it.
2 What you know, I know also. I am not inferior to you.
3 “Surely I would speak to the Almighty. I desire to reason with God.
4 But you are forgers of lies. You are all physicians of no value.
5 Oh that you would be completely silent! Then you would be wise.
6 Hear now my reasoning. Listen to the pleadings of my lips.
7 Will you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him?
8 Will you show partiality to him? Will you contend for God?
9 Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceives a man, will you deceive him?
10 He will surely reprove you if you secretly show partiality.
11 Shall not his majesty make you afraid, And his dread fall on you?
12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, Your defenses are defenses of clay.
13 “Be silent, leave me alone, that I may speak. Let come on me what will.
14 Why should I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand?
15 Behold, he will kill me. I have no hope. Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him.
16 This also shall be my salvation, that a godless man shall not come before him.
17 Hear diligently my speech. Let my declaration be in your ears.
18 See now, I have set my cause in order. I know that I am righteous.
19 Who is he who will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the spirit.
20 “Only don’t do two things to me; then I will not hide myself from your face:
21 withdraw your hand far from me; and don’t let your terror make me afraid.
22 Then call, and I will answer; or let me speak, and you answer me.
23 How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my disobedience and my sin.
24 Why hide you your face, and hold me for your enemy?
25 Will you harass a driven leaf? Will you pursue the dry stubble?
26 For you write bitter things against me, and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth:
27 You also put my feet in the stocks, and mark all my paths. You set a bound to the soles of my feet,
28 though I am decaying like a rotten thing, like a garment that is moth-eaten.
Job 13 (KJV)
1 Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it.
2 What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.
3 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.
4 But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.
5 O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.
6 Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
7 Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
8 Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?
9 Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?
10 He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.
11 Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?
12 Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.
13 Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.
14 Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?
15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
16 He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.
17 Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.
18 Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.
19 Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.
20 Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.
21 Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.
22 Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.
23 How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?
25 Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
26 For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.
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.
28 And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.
Job 13 (ASV)
1 Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, Mine ear hath heard and understood it.
2 What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.
3 Surely I would speak to the Almighty, And I desire to reason with God.
4 But ye are forgers of lies; Ye are all physicians of no value.
5 Oh that ye would altogether hold your peace! And it would be your wisdom.
6 Hear now my reasoning, And hearken to the pleadings of my lips.
7 Will ye speak unrighteously for God, And talk deceitfully for him?
8 Will ye show partiality to him? Will ye contend for God?
9 Is it good that he should search you out? Or as one deceiveth a man, will ye deceive him?
10 He will surely reprove you, If ye do secretly show partiality.
11 Shall not his majesty make you afraid, And his dread fall upon you?
12 Your memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes, Your defences are defences of clay.
13 Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak; And let come on me what will.
14 Wherefore should I take my flesh in my teeth, And put my life in my hand?
15 Behold, he will slay me; I have no hope: Nevertheless I will maintain my ways before him.
16 This also shall be my salvation, That a godless man shall not come before him.
17 Hear diligently my speech, And let my declaration be in your ears.
18 Behold now, I have set my cause in order; I know that I am righteous.
19 Who is he that will contend with me? For then would I hold my peace and give up the ghost.
20 Only do not two things unto me; Then will I not hide myself from thy face:
21 Withdraw thy hand far from me; And let not thy terror make me afraid.
22 Then call thou, and I will answer; Or let me speak, and answer thou me.
23 How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin.
24 Wherefore hidest thou thy face, And holdest me for thine enemy?
25 Wilt thou harass a driven leaf? And wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?
26 For thou writest bitter things against me, And makest me to inherit the iniquities of my youth:
27 Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, And markest all my paths; Thou settest a bound to the soles of my feet:
28 Though I am like a rotten thing that consumeth, Like a garment that is moth-eaten.
Summary
Job declares that he knows everything his friends know and is not inferior to them, but he no longer wishes to argue with them. He would rather speak to the Almighty and reason directly with God. He turns on his friends with stinging rebuke: they are forgers of lies and worthless physicians, and the wisest thing they could do is stay completely silent. He charges that they are speaking falsely on God's behalf, showing partiality to God as though defending him with deceit, and warns that God's majesty should make them tremble, for he will surely reprove them. Their memorable sayings are proverbs of ashes and their defenses are defenses of clay. Then Job resolves to take his life in his hands and plead his cause before God, uttering the towering confession that even if God should slay him, yet he will hope in him and maintain his ways before him; the very fact that he can come before God is a kind of salvation, for no godless person would dare. He asks God for only two things: to withdraw his heavy hand and to remove the terror that makes him afraid, so that Job can answer or speak freely. He longs to know his sins, asks why God hides his face and treats him as an enemy, and grieves that God writes bitter things against him while he wastes away like a moth-eaten garment. The chapter rises to one of the great expressions of faith clinging to God in the dark.
Voices
- Job (speaking) — The sufferer who dismisses his friends as worthless physicians and resolves to plead his case before God, vowing to hope in him even if God should slay him.
- The three friends (addressed) — Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, rebuked as forgers of lies who speak falsely for God and urged to be silent.
- God (addressed) — The Almighty whom Job longs to reason with, asking him to lift his heavy hand and end his terror so Job may speak.
Key Verse
Job 13:15 (WEB)
Behold, he will kill me. I have no hope. Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him.
Lessons Learned
- Defending God with falsehood dishonors the very God we claim to serve.
- True faith is willing to bring its case honestly to God rather than retreat into silence.
- We can resolve to trust and hope in God even when everything seems to be against us.
- Longing to know our true faults, rather than imagined ones, is a mark of integrity before God.
- Don't defend God with lies. “Will you speak unrighteously for God, and talk deceitfully for him?” (Job 13:7, WEB); even God is not honored by dishonest argument.
- Faith brings its case to God. “Surely I would speak to the Almighty. I desire to reason with God” (Job 13:3, WEB); Job seeks God himself, not just relief.
- Hope can persist through death. “Behold, he will kill me… Nevertheless, I will maintain my ways before him” (Job 13:15, WEB), a stubborn trust that clings to God in the dark.
- Integrity wants the truth. “How many are my iniquities and sins? Make me know my disobedience” (Job 13:23, WEB); Job seeks to face real faults, not imagined ones.
- Why does Job call his friends 'forgers of lies' and 'physicians of no value' (13:4)?
- What does Job mean when he accuses the friends of showing 'partiality' to God (13:7-10)?
- How do you understand Job's declaration in verse 15? Is it despair, defiance, or faith?
- What two things does Job ask of God before he will speak (13:20-22), and why?
- What would it look like for you to bring an honest, even hard, case directly to God in prayer?
- Job calls them forgers of lies and worthless physicians because their counsel is false and brings no healing (13:4). They have misdiagnosed his condition and prescribed repentance for a sin he has not committed, doing harm where they meant to help. The strong words measure how badly they have failed him.
- Job accuses them of speaking deceitfully on God's behalf, defending God with falsehood out of misguided loyalty (13:7-8). He warns that God will reprove such partiality, for God does not need or want lies told in his defense. Honesty before God matters more than zealous but false advocacy.
- Verse 15 holds despair and faith together: 'he will kill me, I have no hope,' yet 'I will maintain my ways before him.' It is faith clinging to God even when God seems to be the adversary. Many read it as the high point of Job's trust, a determination to keep approaching God no matter what.
- Job asks God to withdraw his heavy hand and to remove the terror that overwhelms him (13:20-21), so that he can speak or answer without being crushed. He longs for a fair hearing, to lay his case before God as an equal might in court, which his suffering and God's majesty seem to deny him.
- This is a personal-application question. Encourage members to imitate Job's honest, persistent approach to God, bringing real grievances and questions rather than pious distance. As leader, affirm that God welcomes such prayer and point to Christ, through whom we now draw near with confidence (Hebrews 4:16).