(1) В¶ 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) В¶ 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.
In addition to the arguments Job had used before, he riseth up to another point of reasoning in those verses, and plainly tells his friends, that while they vainly supposed they were taking the part of GOD against him, they were really making the cause of GOD to suffer by their false counsel: for in so doing, and putting it down as a matter of fact, that afflictions were sure marks of displeasure, they were speaking wickedly for GOD. Hence, Job calls them, physicians of no value; and he should consider it their wisdom if the consciousness of this would make them hold their peace. Reader! let us by the way, make the same observation of all false reasoning to minds distressed; when men point not to that which can alone heal. A broken heart none can heal but JESUS: and whatever men direct to short of his blood and righteousness, are literally, like Job's counselors, physicians of no value.