Job 16
1 Job replied,
Then Job answered and said,
2 “I've heard all this before. You are comforters who just cause trouble!
I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
3 Will your windy speeches never cease? What's bothering you that you have to answer me?
Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
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 also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine 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 strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.
6 For me, if I speak it doesn't ease my pain, and if I don't speak the pain is still there.
Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?
7 God, you have worn me out. You have destroyed my whole family.
But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.
8 You have made me shrivel up, which is a witness against me; my thin body testifies against me.
And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.
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.
He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.
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 have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.
11 God has handed me over to evil people; he has thrown me into their hands.
El hath delivered me to the perverse, and turned me over into the hands 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 hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
13 His archers surround me. His arrows pierce my kidneys without mercy. He pours out my gall on the ground.
His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
14 Like a wall he breaks me down, breach upon breach, rushing at me like a warrior.
He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.
15 I have sown sackcloth to cover my skin; my strength lies broken in the dust.
I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.
16 My face is red from crying and dark shadows surround my eyes,
My face is foul with weeping, and my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17 although I have done nothing wrong and my prayer is pure.
Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.
18 Earth, do not cover up my blood. May my cry find no place to hide.
O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.
19 Look, right now my witness is in heaven; the one who speaks for me is on high.
Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.
20 My friends scorn me, but my eyes pour out tears to God.
My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto Eloah.
21 I want my witness to speak for me with God as someone does for their friend.
O that one might plead for a man with Eloah, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
22 For in a few short years I shall go down that road from which I shall not return.
When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.
