Job 16
1 Then Job answered, and said,
Then responded Job, and said: —
2 I have heard many such things. Miserable comforters are ye all.
I have heard many such things, Wearisome comforters, are ye all!
3 Shall vain words have an end? Or what provokes thee that thou answer?
Is there to be an end to windy words? Or what so strongly exciteth thee, that thou must respond?
4 I also could speak as ye do, if your soul were in my soul's stead. I could join words together against you, and shake my head at you.
I also, like you, could speak, —If your soul were in the place of my soul, I could string together words against you, and could therewith shake over you my head.
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips would assuage your grief.
I could make you determined, by my mouth, and then my lip-solace should restrain you.
6 Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged, and though I forbear, what am I eased?
Though I do speak, unassuaged is my stinging pain, —And, if I forbear, of what am I relieved?
7 But now he has made me weary. Thou have made desolate all my company.
But, now, hath he wearied me, thou hast destroyed all my family;
8 And thou have laid fast hold on me, which is a witness against me. And my leanness rises up against me; it testifies to my face.
And, having captured me, it hath served, as a witness; and so my wasting away hath risen up against me, in my face, it answereth.
9 He has torn me in his wrath, and persecuted me. He has gnashed upon me with his teeth. My adversary sharpens his eyes upon me.
His anger, hath torn and persecuted me, He hath gnashed upon me with his teeth, Mine adversary, hath sharpened his eyes for me.
10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth. They have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully. They gather themselves together against me.
They have gaped upon me with their mouth, With reproach, have they smitten my cheek, Together, against me, have they closed their ranks.
11 God delivers me to the perverse, and casts me into the hands of the wicked.
GOD doth abandon me to him that is perverse, and, into the hands of the lawless, he throweth me headlong.
12 I was at ease, and he broke me apart. Yea, he has taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces. He has also set me up for his mark.
At ease, was I when he shattered me, Yea he seized me by my neck, and dashed me in pieces, then set me up for himself as a mark:
13 His archers encompass me round about. He splits my reins apart, and does not spare. He pours out my gall upon the ground.
His archers came round against me, He clave asunder my reins, and spared not, He poured out, on the earth, my gall:
14 He breaks me with breach upon breach. He runs upon me like a giant.
He made a breach in me, breach upon breach, He ran upon me, like a mighty man.
15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and have laid my horn in the dust.
Sackcloth, sewed I on my skin, and rolled—in the dust—my horn:
16 My face is red with weeping, and the shadow of death is on my eyelids,
My face, is reddened from weeping, and, upon mine eyelashes, is the death-shade: —
17 although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
Though no violence was in my hands, and, my prayer, was pure.
18 O earth, do not cover thou my blood, and let my cry have no resting place.
O earth! do not cover my blood, and let there be no place for mine outcry.
19 Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who vouches for me is on high.
Even now, lo! in the heavens, is my witness,
20 My friends scoff at me. My eye pours out tears to God
And, he that voucheth for me is on high. My friends are, they who scorn me, Unto GOD, hath mine eye shed tears: —
21 that he would maintain the right of a man with God, and of a son of man with his neighbor!
That one might plead, for a man, with GOD, —Even a son of man, for his friend!
22 For when a few years are come, I shall go the way where I shall not return.
When, a few years, come, then, by a path by which I shall not return, shall I depart.
