Job 13:15 
Context| NET © | Even if he slays me, I will hope in him; 1 I will surely 2 defend 3 my ways to his face! |
| NIV © | Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. |
| NASB © | "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I will argue my ways before Him. |
| NLT © | God might kill me, but I cannot wait. I am going to argue my case with him. |
| MSG © | Because even if he killed me, I'd keep on hoping. I'd defend my innocence to the very end. |
| BBE © | Truly, he will put an end to me; I have no hope; but I will not give way in argument before him; |
| NRSV © | See, he will kill me; I have no hope; but I will defend my ways to his face. |
| NKJV © | Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. |
| KJV | |
| NASB © | |
| HEBREW | |
| LXXM | |
| NET © [draft] ITL | |
| NET © | Even if he slays me, I will hope in him; 1 I will surely 2 defend 3 my ways to his face! |
| NET © Notes |
1 tn There is a textual difficulty here that factors into the interpretation of the verse. The Kethib is לֹא (lo’, “not”), but the Qere is לוֹ (lo, “to him”). The RSV takes the former: “Behold, he will slay me, I have no hope.” The NIV takes it as “though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.” Job is looking ahead to death, which is not an evil thing to him. The point of the verse is that he is willing to challenge God at the risk of his life; and if God slays him, he is still confident that he will be vindicated – as he says later in this chapter. Other suggestions are not compelling. E. Dhorme (Job, 187) makes a slight change of אֲיַחֵל (’ayakhel, “I will hope”) to אַחִיל (’akhil, “I will [not] tremble”). A. B. Davidson (Job, 98) retains the MT, but interprets the verb more in line with its use in the book: “I will not wait” (cf. NLT). 2 tn On אַךְ (’akh, “surely”) see GKC 483 §153 on intensive clauses. 3 tn The verb once again is יָכָה (yakhah, in the Hiphil, “argue a case, plead, defend, contest”). But because the word usually means “accuse” rather than “defend,” I. L. Seeligmann proposed changing “my ways” to “his ways” (“Zur Terminologie für das Gerichtsverfahren im Wortschatz des biblischen Hebräisch,” VTSup 16 [1967]: 251-78). But the word can be interpreted appropriately in the context without emendation. |
