Job 16

1 Job replied,

Then Job answered:

2 “I've heard all this before. You are comforters who just cause trouble!

“I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all.

3 Will your windy speeches never cease? What's bothering you that you have to answer me?

Is there no end to your long-winded speeches? What provokes you to continue testifying?

4 I could talk like you do if you were in my place, stringing words together to criticize you, ridiculing you with a toss of my head.

I could also speak like you if you were in my place; I could heap up words against you and shake my head at you.

5 I could build you up by my mouth speaking words; the movement of my lips would ease your pain.

But I would encourage you with my mouth, and the consolation of my lips would bring relief.

6 For me, if I speak it doesn't ease my pain, and if I don't speak the pain is still there.

Even if I speak, my pain is not relieved, and if I hold back, how will it go away?

7 God, you have worn me out. You have destroyed my whole family.

Surely He has now exhausted me; You have devastated all my family.

8 You have made me shrivel up, which is a witness against me; my thin body testifies against me.

You have bound me, and it has become a witness; my frailty rises up and testifies against me.

9 He has torn me apart in his anger; in his hostility he has gnashed his teeth at me; my enemy pierces me with his fierce look.

His anger has torn me and opposed me; He gnashes His teeth at me. My adversary pierces me with His eyes.

10 People stare at me with their mouths wide open, they slap me on my cheeks to mock me, they crowd around me to attack me.

They open their mouths against me and strike my cheeks with contempt; they join together against me.

11 God has handed me over to evil people; he has thrown me into their hands.

God has delivered me to unjust men; He has thrown me to the clutches of the wicked.

12 I was living in peace and he smashed me to pieces. He grabbed me by the neck and dashed me to pieces. He set me up as his target.

I was at ease, but He shattered me; He seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has set me up as His target;

13 His archers surround me. His arrows pierce my kidneys without mercy. He pours out my gall on the ground.

His archers surround me. He pierces my kidneys without mercy and spills my gall on the ground.

14 Like a wall he breaks me down, breach upon breach, rushing at me like a warrior.

He breaks me with wound upon wound; He rushes me like a mighty warrior.

15 I have sown sackcloth to cover my skin; my strength lies broken in the dust.

I have sewn sackcloth over my skin; I have buried my horn in the dust.

16 My face is red from crying and dark shadows surround my eyes,

My face is red with weeping, and deep shadows ring my eyes;

17 although I have done nothing wrong and my prayer is pure.

yet my hands are free of violence and my prayer is pure.

18 Earth, do not cover up my blood. May my cry find no place to hide.

O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry for help never be laid to rest.

19 Look, right now my witness is in heaven; the one who speaks for me is on high.

Even now my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high.

20 My friends scorn me, but my eyes pour out tears to God.

My friends are my scoffers as my eyes pour out tears to God.

21 I want my witness to speak for me with God as someone does for their friend.

Oh, that a man might plead with God as he pleads with his neighbor!

22 For in a few short years I shall go down that road from which I shall not return.

For when only a few years are past I will go the way of no return.