Job 16
1 And Job made answer and said,
And Job answereth and saith: —
2 Such things have frequently come to my ears: you are comforters who only give trouble.
I have heard many such things, Miserable comforters [are] ye all.
3 May words which are like the wind be stopped? or what is troubling you to make answer to them?
Is there an end to words of wind? Or what doth embolden thee that thou answerest?
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 also, like you, might speak, If your soul were in my soul's stead. I might join against you with words, And nod at you with my head.
5 I might give you strength with my mouth, and not keep back the comfort of my lips.
I might harden you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips might be sparing.
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?
If I speak, my pain is not restrained, And I cease — what goeth from me?
7 But now he has overcome me with weariness and fear, and I am in the grip of all my trouble.
Only, now, it hath wearied me; Thou hast desolated all my company,
8 It has come up as a witness against me, and the wasting of my flesh makes answer to my face.
And Thou dost loathe me, For a witness it hath been, And rise up against me doth my failure, In my face it testifieth.
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 hath torn, and he hateth me, He hath gnashed at me with his teeth, My adversary sharpeneth his eyes for me.
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 have gaped on me with their mouth, In reproach they have smitten my cheeks, Together against me they set themselves.
11 God gives me over to the power of sinners, sending me violently into the hands of evil-doers.
God shutteth me up unto the perverse, And to the hands of the wicked turneth me over.
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.
At ease I have been, and he breaketh me, And he hath laid hold on my neck, And he breaketh me in pieces, And he raiseth me to him for a mark.
13 His bowmen come round about me; their arrows go through my body without mercy; my life is drained out on the earth.
Go round against me do his archers. He splitteth my reins, and spareth not, He poureth out to the earth my gall.
14 I am broken with wound after wound; he comes rushing on me like a man of war.
He breaketh me — breach upon breach, He runneth upon me as a mighty one.
15 I have made haircloth the clothing of my skin, and my horn is rolled in the dust.
Sackcloth I have sewed on my skin, And have rolled in the dust my horn.
16 My face is red with weeping, and my eyes are becoming dark;
My face is foul with weeping, And on mine eyelids [is] death-shade.
17 Though my hands have done no violent acts, and my prayer is clean.
Not for violence in my hands, 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 thou cover my blood! And let there not be a place for my cry.
19 Even now my witness is in heaven, and the supporter of my cause is on high.
Also, now, lo, in the heavens [is] my witness, And my testifier in the high places.
20 My friends make sport of me; to God my eyes are weeping,
My interpreter [is] my friend, Unto God hath mine eye dropped:
21 So that he may give decision for a man in his cause with God, and between a son of man and his neighbour.
And he reasoneth for a man with God, And a son of man for his friend.
22 For in a short time I will take the journey from which I will not come back.
When a few years do come, Then a path I return not do I go.
