Job 16

1 Then Job answered, and said:

And Job made answer and said,

2 I have often heard such things as these: you are all troublesome comforters.

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

3 Shall windy words have no end? or is it any trouble to thee to speak?

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

4 I also could speak like you: and would God your soul were for my soul. I would comfort you also with words, and would wag my head over 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 I would strengthen you with my mouth, and would move my lips, as sparing you.

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

6 But what shall I do? If I speak, my pain will not rest: and if I hold my peace, it will not depart from me.

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 my sorrow hath oppressed me, and all my limbs are brought to nothing.

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

8 My wrinkles bear witness against me, and a false speaker riseth up against my face, contradicting me.

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

9 He hath gathered together his fury against me, and threatening me he hath gnashed with his teeth upon me: my enemy hath beheld me with terrible eyes.

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 They have opened their mouths upon me, and reproaching me they have struck me on the cheek, they are filled with my pains.

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 God hath shut me up with the unjust man, and hath delivered me into the hands of the wicked.

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

12 I that was formerly so wealthy, am all on a sudden broken to pieces: he hath taken me by my neck, he hath broken me, and hath set me up to be his 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 He hath compassed me round about with his lances, he hath wounded my loins, he hath not spared, and hath poured out my bowels on the earth.

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

14 He hath torn me with wound upon wound, he hath rushed in upon me like a giant.

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

15 I have sowed sackcloth upon my skin, and have covered my flesh with ashes.

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

16 My face is swollen with weeping, and my eyelids are dim.

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

17 These things have I suffered without the iniquity of my hand, when I offered pure prayers to God.

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

18 O earth, cover not thou my blood, neither let my cry find a hiding place in thee.

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

19 For behold my witness is in heaven, and he that knoweth my conscience is on high.

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

20 My friends are full of words: my eye poureth out tears to God.

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

21 And O that a man might so be judged with God, as the son of man is judged with his companion!

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

22 For behold short years pass away and I am walking in a path by which I shall not return.

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