Job 16
1 And Job made answer and said,
Job replied,
2 Such things have frequently come to my ears: you are comforters who only give trouble.
“I've heard all this before. You are comforters who just cause trouble!
3 May words which are like the wind be stopped? or what is troubling you to make answer to them?
Will your windy speeches never cease? What's bothering you that you have to answer me?
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 talk like you do if you were in my place, stringing words together to criticize you, ridiculing you with a toss of my head.
5 I might give you strength with my mouth, and not keep back the comfort of my lips.
I could build you up by my mouth speaking words; the movement of my lips would ease your pain.
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?
For me, if I speak it doesn't ease my pain, and if I don't speak the pain is still there.
7 But now he has overcome me with weariness and fear, and I am in the grip of all my trouble.
God, you have worn me out. You have destroyed my whole family.
8 It has come up as a witness against me, and the wasting of my flesh makes answer to my face.
You have made me shrivel up, which is a witness against me; my thin body 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;
He has torn me apart in his anger; in his hostility he has gnashed his teeth at me; my enemy pierces me with his fierce look.
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.
People stare at me with their mouths wide open, they slap me on my cheeks to mock me, they crowd around me to attack me.
11 God gives me over to the power of sinners, sending me violently into the hands of evil-doers.
God has handed me over to evil people; he has thrown me into their hands.
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 living in peace and he smashed me to pieces. He grabbed me by the neck and dashed me to pieces. He 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. His arrows pierce my kidneys without mercy. He pours out my gall on the ground.
14 I am broken with wound after wound; he comes rushing on me like a man of war.
Like a wall he breaks me down, breach upon breach, rushing at me like a warrior.
15 I have made haircloth the clothing of my skin, and my horn is rolled in the dust.
I have sown sackcloth to cover my skin; my strength lies broken in the dust.
16 My face is red with weeping, and my eyes are becoming dark;
My face is red from crying and dark shadows surround my eyes,
17 Though my hands have done no violent acts, and my prayer is clean.
although I have done nothing wrong and my prayer is pure.
18 O earth, let not my blood be covered, and let my cry have no resting-place!
Earth, do not cover up my blood. May my cry find no place to hide.
19 Even now my witness is in heaven, and the supporter of my cause is on high.
Look, right now my witness is in heaven; the one who speaks for me is on high.
20 My friends make sport of me; to God my eyes are weeping,
My friends scorn me, but 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.
I want my witness to speak for me with God as someone does for their friend.
22 For in a short time I will take the journey from which I will not come back.
For in a few short years I shall go down that road from which I shall not return.
