Job 19
1 Then Job answered, and said:
And Job answered and said,
2 How long do you afflict my soul, and break me in pieces with words?
How long will ye vex my soul, and crush me with words?
3 Behold, these ten times you confound me, and are not ashamed to oppress me.
These ten times have ye reproached me; ye are not ashamed to stupefy me.
4 For if I have been ignorant, my ignorance shall be with me.
And be it [that] I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.
5 But you have set yourselves up against me, and reprove me with my reproaches.
If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and prove against me my reproach,
6 At least now understand, that God hath not afflicted me with an equal judgment, and compassed me with his scourges.
Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath surrounded me with his net.
7 Behold I cry suffering violence, and no one will hear: I shall cry aloud, and there is none to judge.
Behold, I cry out of wrong, and I am not heard; I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.
8 He hath hedged in my path round about, and I cannot pass, and in my way he hath set darkness.
He hath hedged up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.
9 He hath stripped me of my glory, and hath taken the crown from my head.
He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.
10 He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am lost, and he hath taken away my hope, as from a tree that is plucked up.
He breaketh me down on every side, and I am gone; and my hope hath he torn up as a tree.
11 His wrath is kindled against me, and he hath counted me as his enemy.
And he hath kindled his anger against me, and hath counted me unto him as one of his enemies.
12 His troops have come together, and have made themselves a way by me, and have besieged my tabernacle round about.
His troops have come together and cast up their way against me, and have encamped round about my tent.
13 He hath put my brethren far from me, and my acquaintance like strangers have departed from me.
He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are quite estranged from me.
14 My kinsmen have forsaken me, and they that knew me, have forgotten me.
My kinsfolk have failed, and my known friends have forgotten me.
15 They that dwelt in my house, and my maidservants have counted me a stranger, and I have been like an alien in their eyes.
The sojourners in my house and my maids count me as a stranger; I am an alien in their sight.
16 I called my servant, and he gave me no answer, I entreated him with my own mouth.
I called my servant, and he answered not; I entreated him with my mouth.
17 My wife hath abhorred my breath, and I entreated the children of my womb.
My breath is strange to my wife, and my entreaties to the children of my [mother's] womb.
18 Even fools despise me; and when I gone from them, they spoke against me.
Even young children despise me; I rise up, and they speak against me.
19 They that were sometime my counsellors, have abhorred me: and he whom I love most is turned against me.
All my intimate friends abhor me, and they whom I loved are turned against me.
20 The flesh being consumed. My bone hath cleaved to my skin, and nothing but lips are left about my teeth.
My bones cleave to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.
21 Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you my friends, because the hand of the Lord hath touched me.
Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.
22 Why do you persecute me as God, and glut yourselves with my flesh?
Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?
23 Who will grant me that my words may be written? Who will grant me that they may be marked down in a book?
Oh would that my words were written! oh that they were inscribed in a book!
24 With an iron pen and in a plate of lead, or else be graven with an instrument in flint stone.
That with an iron style and lead they were graven in the rock for ever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and in the last day I shall rise out of the earth.
And [as for] me, I know that my Redeemer liveth, and the Last, he shall stand upon the earth;
26 And I shall be clothed again with my skin, and in my flesh I will see my God.
And [if] after my skin this shall be destroyed, yet from out of my flesh shall I see God;
27 Whom I myself shall see, and my eyes shall behold, and not another: this my hope is laid up in my bosom.
Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another: — my reins are consumed within me.
28 Why then do you say now: Let us persecute him, and let us find occasion of word against him?
If ye say, How shall we persecute him? when the root of the matter is found in me,
29 Flee then from the face of the sword, for the sword is the revenger of iniquities: and know ye that there is judgment.
Be ye yourselves afraid of the sword! for the sword is fury against misdeeds, that ye may know there is a judgment.
