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Job 13

Job book home•Chapter 13 of 42•28 verses

Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Job 13 Overview

Job says he wants to speak directly with God and calls his friends forgers of lies and physicians of no value. He asks them to stop defending God with falsehood. Job then makes his famous statement, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him,” while continuing to desire a hearing for his case.

JobBook

13Chapter

28Verses

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Before you read Job 13

Coming from

Chapter 12 established that Job already understands God’s sovereignty and does not need the friends’ simplistic lecture.

In this chapter

Job rejects false advocacy for God, affirms trust even under threat of death, and asks for the chance to present his case directly.

Leads into

Chapter 14 continues Job’s reflection on human mortality and the possibility of renewed life after death.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Job believes God does not need dishonest arguments in His defense. His willingness to trust even if slain sits beside his determination to argue his ways before God. In Job, faith and hard questioning can appear in the same speaker at the same time.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Truth 1

God is not honored by false arguments offered in His defense.

Truth 2

Job’s trust persists even while he fears death and contests the meaning of his suffering.

Truth 3

A person can bring a case to God without accepting human accusations as though they were God’s verdict.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Connection 1

Psalm 62:8 calls God’s people to pour out their heart before Him.

Connection 2

Habakkuk 3:17-19 later joins severe loss with continued trust in God.

Connection 3

1 Peter 3:15 calls for a truthful defense, reinforcing the principle that God’s truth does not need dishonest advocacy.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Keep this clear 1

The KJV punctuation of Job 13:15 supports the famous trust statement; the surrounding context still includes Job’s intent to defend his ways.

Keep this clear 2

Do not treat Job’s “friends” as legitimate prosecutors merely because they speak confidently about God.

Keep this clear 3

Job’s confidence here should not be used to erase the despair expressed elsewhere in the book.

Read Job 13 watching for…

Job’s labels for the friends’ arguments.

His demand that they stop speaking falsely for God.

“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.”

Job’s desire for a direct hearing.

The conditions he asks for so he can speak without terror.

Chapter outline4 sections

1-6Job says he understands what his friends know and desires to speak directly with God 7-12Job warns his friends against speaking deceitfully or showing partiality for God 13-19Job resolves to maintain his ways before God and orders his cause 20-28Job asks God to remove his fear and show him his sins and the reason for his suffering

Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it.

What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.

Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.

O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.

Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.

Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?

Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?

Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?

He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.

Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?

Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.

Hold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.

Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.

Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.

Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.

Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.

Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.

How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.

Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?

Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?

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

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.

And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.

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Job 13:5

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