Job 16

1 And Job made answer and said,

Then Job answered:

2 Such things have frequently come to my ears: you are comforters who only give trouble.

“I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all.

3 May words which are like the wind be stopped? or what is troubling you to make answer to them?

Is there no end to your long-winded speeches? What provokes you to continue testifying?

4 It would not be hard for me to say such things if your souls were in my soul's place; joining words together against you, and shaking my head at you:

I could also speak like you if you were in my place; I could heap up words against you and shake my head at you.

5 I might give you strength with my mouth, and not keep back the comfort of my lips.

But I would encourage you with my mouth, and the consolation of my lips would bring relief.

6 If I say what is in my mind, my pain becomes no less: and if I keep quiet, how much of it goes from me?

Even if I speak, my pain is not relieved, and if I hold back, how will it go away?

7 But now he has overcome me with weariness and fear, and I am in the grip of all my trouble.

Surely He has now exhausted me; You have devastated all my family.

8 It has come up as a witness against me, and the wasting of my flesh makes answer to my face.

You have bound me, and it has become a witness; my frailty rises up and testifies against me.

9 I am broken by his wrath, and his hate has gone after me; he has made his teeth sharp against me: my haters are looking on me with cruel eyes;

His anger has torn me and opposed me; He gnashes His teeth at me. My adversary pierces me with His eyes.

10 Their mouths are open wide against me; the blows of his bitter words are falling on my face; all of them come together in a mass against me.

They open their mouths against me and strike my cheeks with contempt; they join together against me.

11 God gives me over to the power of sinners, sending me violently into the hands of evil-doers.

God has delivered me to unjust men; He has thrown me to the clutches of the wicked.

12 I was in comfort, but I have been broken up by his hands; he has taken me by the neck, shaking me to bits; he has put me up as a mark for his arrows.

I was at ease, but He shattered me; He seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has set me up as His target;

13 His bowmen come round about me; their arrows go through my body without mercy; my life is drained out on the earth.

His archers surround me. He pierces my kidneys without mercy and spills my gall on the ground.

14 I am broken with wound after wound; he comes rushing on me like a man of war.

He breaks me with wound upon wound; He rushes me like a mighty warrior.

15 I have made haircloth the clothing of my skin, and my horn is rolled in the dust.

I have sewn sackcloth over my skin; I have buried my horn in the dust.

16 My face is red with weeping, and my eyes are becoming dark;

My face is red with weeping, and deep shadows ring my eyes;

17 Though my hands have done no violent acts, and my prayer is clean.

yet my hands are free of violence and my prayer is pure.

18 O earth, let not my blood be covered, and let my cry have no resting-place!

O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry for help never be laid to rest.

19 Even now my witness is in heaven, and the supporter of my cause is on high.

Even now my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high.

20 My friends make sport of me; to God my eyes are weeping,

My friends are my scoffers as my eyes pour out tears to God.

21 So that he may give decision for a man in his cause with God, and between a son of man and his neighbour.

Oh, that a man might plead with God as he pleads with his neighbor!

22 For in a short time I will take the journey from which I will not come back.

For when only a few years are past I will go the way of no return.