1 "Hey, I [SYN] have seen everything that you have seen,

and I have heard and understood all that you have said.

2 What you know, I also know;

I do ◄not know less than/know as much as► you.

3 But I would like to speak to Almighty God, not to you;

I would like to argue with him and prove that I ◄am innocent/have not done things that are wrong►.

4 As for you, you do not allow people to know the truth about me,

like someone covers up a bad surface of a wall with whitewash [MET].

You are all like doctors [MET] that give people useless medicines.

5 I wish/desire that you would be silent;

that would be the wisest thing that you could do.

6 Listen to what I will say to you now;

listen while I am saying what is true about myself.

7 Are you telling lies about me to prove God is just in causing me to suffer?

Are you saying what is deceitful in order to benefit him?

8 Are you trying to defend him?

Are you trying to prove as you would in a court that he is innocent?

9 If he looks closely, will he find that everything that you have done is good?

Or can you deceive him, like you deceive other people?

10 If you secretly say/do things to cause God to act favorably toward you,

he will surely rebuke you.

11 He will certainly [RHQ] cause you to be terrified by his power/greatness;

you will become extremely afraid.

12 The things that you say that you think are wise are as useless as [MET] as ashes;

what you say to defend your opinions is no better than [MET] clay that quickly crumbles.

13 "So, be quiet and allow me to speak,

and then it will not matter what happens to me.

14 I am ready to endure anything;

I am even willing to risk being executed [IDM, DOU] for what I will say.

15 If God kills me, then I will not have anyone else whom I can confidently expect to help me,

but I am going to defend my behavior in his presence anyway.

16 No wicked/godless person would dare to stand in the presence of God,

but because I say that I have not done things that are wrong,

perhaps, if I can prove that to God, he will save me."

17 "God, listen very carefully to what I say [DOU].

18 I am ready to prove that I am innocent,

and I know that you also will declare that I am not guilty.

19 I certainly do not think [RHQ] that you or anyone else will say that what I say is not true;

if anyone did that, I would ◄be silent/stop talking► and die.

20 "I am requesting you to do two things for me;

if you do them, I will ◄not hide from you/come and stand in front of you► [LIT].

21 The first thing that I request is that you stop punishing [IDM] me;

and the second thing that I request is that you stop causing me to be very terrified.

22 You speak first, and then I will reply;

or allow me to speak first, and then you reply.

23 What have I done that is wrong? What sins have I committed?

Show me how I have disobeyed you.

24 Why ◄do you refuse to be friendly with/have you abandoned► me [IDM]?

Why do you ◄act toward me as though I am/consider me to be► your enemy?

25 I am as insignificant as [MET] a leaf that is blown by the wind;

why are you trying to cause me to be afraid [RHQ]?

Why are you pursuing me?

Am I useless, nothing more than a bit of dry chaff [RHQ]?

26 It seems that you are writing things to accuse me of doing things that are wrong,

even recalling bad things that I did when I was young.

27 It is as though you have fastened my feet with chains to prevent me from walking,

and you watch me wherever I walk;

It is as though you even look closely at my footprints to see where I have gone.

28 As a result, my body is decaying like [SIM] rotten wood,

like a piece of cloth that is eaten by larvae of moths."