Job 19
1 Then Job answered, and said:
But 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 break me in pieces with words?
3 Behold, these ten times you confound me, and are not ashamed to oppress me.
These ten times have ye reviled me; Without shame do ye stun me!
4 For if I have been ignorant, my ignorance shall be with me.
And be it, indeed, that I have erred, My error abideth with myself.
5 But you have set yourselves up against me, and reprove me with my reproaches.
Since, indeed, ye magnify yourselves against me, And plead 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 then that it is God who hath brought me low; He hath encompassed 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 complain of wrong, but receive no answer; I cry aloud, but obtain no justice.
8 He hath hedged in my path round about, and I cannot pass, and in my way he hath set darkness.
He hath fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass, And 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 hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone! He hath torn up my hope like a tree.
11 His wrath is kindled against me, and he hath counted me as his enemy.
He kindleth his anger against me, And counteth me as his enemy.
12 His troops have come together, and have made themselves a way by me, and have besieged my tabernacle round about.
His troops advance together against me; They throw up for themselves a way to me, And encamp around my dwelling.
13 He hath put my brethren far from me, and my acquaintance like strangers have departed from me.
My brethren he hath put far from me, And my acquaintance are wholly estranged from me.
14 My kinsmen have forsaken me, and they that knew me, have forgotten me.
My kinsfolk have forsaken me, And my bosom 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 foreigners of my house, yea, my own maid-servants, regard me as a stranger; I am an alien in their eyes.
16 I called my servant, and he gave me no answer, I entreated him with my own mouth.
I call my servant, and he maketh no answer; With my own mouth do I entreat him.
17 My wife hath abhorred my breath, and I entreated the children of my womb.
My breath is become strange to my wife, And my prayers also to my own mother's sons.
18 Even fools despise me; and when I gone from them, they spoke against me.
Even young children despise me; When I rise up, 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 bosom 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 flesh and my skin, And I have scarcely 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, O ye my friends! have pity upon me; For the hand of God hath smitten me!
22 Why do you persecute me as God, and glut yourselves with my flesh?
Why do ye persecute me like 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?
O that my words were now written! O that they were marked down in a scroll!
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 pen, and with lead, They were engraven upon the rock for ever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and in the last day I shall rise out of the earth.
Yet I know that my Vindicator liveth, And will hereafter stand up on the earth;
26 And I shall be clothed again with my skin, and in my flesh I will see my God.
And though with my skin this body be wasted away, Yet without 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.
Yea, I shall see him my friend; My eyes shall behold him, and not another: For this, my soul panteth within me.
28 Why then do you say now: Let us persecute him, and let us find occasion of word against him?
Since ye say, “How may we persecute him, And find grounds of accusation against him?”
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 afraid of the sword! For malice is a crime for the sword; That ye may know that judgment cometh.
