Job 13:13

“Refrain from talking ¹  with me so that ²  I may speak; then let come to me ³  what may. ⁴ 

"Keep silent and let me speak; then let come to me what may.

"Be silent before me so that I may speak; Then let come on me what may.

"Be silent now and leave me alone. Let me speak––and I will face the consequences.

"So hold your tongue while I have my say, then I'll take whatever I have coming to me.

Keep quiet, and let me say what is in my mind, whatever may come to me.

"Let me have silence, and I will speak, and let come on me what may.

"Hold your peace with me, and let me speak, Then let come on me what may !

“Refrain from talking ¹  with me so that ²  I may speak; then let come to me ³  what may. ⁴ 

¹ tn The Hebrew has a pregnant construction: “be silent from me,” meaning “stand away from me in silence,” or “refrain from talking with me.” See GKC 384 §119.ff. The LXX omits “from me,” as do several commentators.

² tn The verb is the Piel cohortative; following the imperative of the first colon this verb would show purpose or result. The inclusion of the independent personal pronoun makes the focus emphatic – “so that I (in my turn) may speak.”

³ tn The verb עָבַר (’avar, “pass over”) is used with the preposition עַל (’al, “upon”) to express the advent of misfortune, namely, something coming against him.

⁴ tn The interrogative pronoun מָה (mah) is used in indirect questions, here introducing a clause [with the verb understood] as the object – “whatever it be” (see GKC 443-44 §137.c).