Job 16
1 Job replied,
But Job answered and said:
2 “I've heard all this before. You are comforters who just cause trouble!
Of such things as these I have heard enough! Miserable comforters are ye all!
3 Will your windy speeches never cease? What's bothering you that you have to answer me?
Will there ever be an end to words of wind? What stirreth thee up, 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 might speak like you, If ye were now in my place; I might string together 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.
I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the consolation of my lips should sustain you.
6 For me, if I speak it doesn't ease my pain, and if I don't speak the pain is still there.
If I speak, my grief is not assuaged; And if I forbear, it doth not leave me.
7 God, you have worn me out. You have destroyed my whole family.
For now He hath quite exhausted me; Thou hast desolated all my house!
8 You have made me shrivel up, which is a witness against me; my thin body testifies against me.
Thou hast seized hold of me, and this is a witness against me; My leanness riseth up and testifieth against me 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.
His anger teareth my flesh, and pursueth me; He gnasheth upon me with his teeth; My adversary 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 gape for me with their mouths; In scorn they smite me on the cheek; With one consent they assemble against me.
11 God has handed me over to evil people; he has thrown me into their hands.
God hath given me a prey to the unrighteous, And delivered me 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 crushed me; He hath seized me by the neck, and dashed me in pieces; He hath 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 encompass me around; He pierceth my reins, 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 rusheth upon me like a warrior.
15 I have sown sackcloth to cover my skin; my strength lies broken in the dust.
I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, And thrust my horn into the dust.
16 My face is red from crying and dark shadows surround my eyes,
My face is red with weeping, And upon my eyelids is deathlike darkness.
17 although I have done nothing wrong and my prayer is pure.
Yet is there no injustice in my bands. And my prayer hath been 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 there be no hiding-place for my cry!
19 Look, right now my witness is in heaven; the one who speaks for me is on high.
Yet even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, And he who knoweth me is on high.
20 My friends scorn me, but my eyes pour out tears to God.
My friends have me in derision, But my eye poureth out tears unto God.
21 I want my witness to speak for me with God as someone does for their friend.
O that one might contend for a man with God, As a man contendeth with his neighbor!
22 For in a few short years I shall go down that road from which I shall not return.
For when a few years shall have passed, I shall go the way whence I shall not return.
