Job 16

1 But Job answered and said,

And Job made answer and said,

2 I have heard many such things: poor comforters are you all.

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

3 What! is there any reason in vain words? or what will hinder you from answering?

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

4 I also will speak as you [do]: if indeed your soul were in my [soul's] stead, then would I insult you with words, and I would shake my head at you.

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:

5 And would there were strength in my mouth, and I would not spare the movement of my lips.

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

6 For if I should speak, I shall not feel the pain of my wound: and if I should be silent, how shall I be wounded the less?

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?

7 But now he has made me weary, and a worn-out fool; and you have laid hold of me.

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

8 My falsehood has become a testimony, and has risen up against me: it has confronted me to my face.

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

9 In his anger he has cast me down; he has gnashed his teeth upon me: the weapons of his robbers have fallen upon me.

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;

10 He has attacked me with the keen glances of his eyes; with his sharp [spear] he has struck me [down] upon my knees; and they have run upon me with one accord.

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.

11 For the Lord has delivered me into the hands of unrighteous men, and thrown me upon the ungodly.

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

12 When I was at peace he distracted me: he took me by the hair of the head, and plucked it out: he set me up as a mark.

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.

13 They surrounded me with spears, aiming at my reins: without sparing [me] they poured out my gall upon the ground.

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

14 They overthrew me with fall upon fall: they ran upon me in [their] might.

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

15 They sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and my strength has been spent on the ground.

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

16 My belly has been parched with wailing, and darkness is on my eyelids.

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

17 Yet there was no injustice in my hands, and my prayer is pure.

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

18 Earth, cover not over the blood of my flesh, and let my cry have no place.

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

19 And now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high.

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

20 Let my supplication come to the Lord, and let mine eye weep before him.

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

21 Oh that a man might plead before the Lord, even [as] the son of man with his neighbour!

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

22 But my years are numbered and [their end] come, and I shall go by the way by which I shall not return.

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