Job 16
1 Bvt Iob answered, and said,
Then responded Job, and said: —
2 I haue oft times heard such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
I have heard many such things, Wearisome comforters, are ye all!
3 Shall there be none ende of wordes of winde? or what maketh thee bold so to answere?
Is there to be an end to windy words? Or what so strongly exciteth thee, that thou must respond?
4 I could also speake as yee doe: (but woulde God your soule were in my soules stead) I could keepe you company in speaking, and could shake mine head at you,
I also, like you, could speak, —If your soul were in the place of my soul, I could string together words against you, and could therewith shake over you my head.
5 But I woulde strengthen you with my mouth, and the comfort of my lips should asswage your sorowe.
I could make you determined, by my mouth, and then my lip-solace should restrain you.
6 Though I speake, my sorow can not be asswaged: though I cease, what release haue I?
Though I do speak, unassuaged is my stinging pain, —And, if I forbear, of what am I relieved?
7 But now hee maketh mee wearie: O God, thou hast made all my congregation desolate,
But, now, hath he wearied me, thou hast destroyed all my family;
8 And hast made me full of wrinkles which is a witnesse thereof, and my leannes ryseth vp in me, testifying the same in my face.
And, having captured me, it hath served, as a witness; and so my wasting away hath risen up against me, in my face, it answereth.
9 His wrath hath torne me, and hee hateth me, and gnasheth vpon mee with his teeth: mine enemie hath sharpened his eyes against me.
His anger, hath torn and persecuted me, He hath gnashed upon me with his teeth, Mine adversary, hath sharpened his eyes for me.
10 They haue opened their mouthes vpon me, and smitten me on the cheeke in reproch; they gather themselues together against me.
They have gaped upon me with their mouth, With reproach, have they smitten my cheek, Together, against me, have they closed their ranks.
11 God hath deliuered me to the vniust, and hath made mee to turne out of the way by the hands of the wicked.
GOD doth abandon me to him that is perverse, and, into the hands of the lawless, he throweth me headlong.
12 I was in welth, but he hath brought me to nought: he hath taken me by the necke, and beaten me, and set me as a marke for himselfe.
At ease, was I when he shattered me, Yea he seized me by my neck, and dashed me in pieces, then set me up for himself as a mark:
13 His archers compasse mee rounde about: he cutteth my reines, and doth not spare, and powreth my gall vpon the ground.
His archers came round against me, He clave asunder my reins, and spared not, He poured out, on the earth, my gall:
14 He hath broken me with one breaking vpon another, and runneth vpon me like a gyant.
He made a breach in me, breach upon breach, He ran upon me, like a mighty man.
15 I haue sowed a sackcloth vpon my skinne, and haue abased mine horne vnto the dust.
Sackcloth, sewed I on my skin, and rolled—in the dust—my horn:
16 My face is withered with weeping, and the shadow of death is vpon mine eyes,
My face, is reddened from weeping, and, upon mine eyelashes, is the death-shade: —
17 Though there be no wickednesse in mine hands, and my prayer be pure.
Though no violence was in my hands, and, my prayer, was pure.
18 O earth, couer not thou my blood, and let my crying finde no place.
O earth! do not cover my blood, and let there be no place for mine outcry.
19 For lo, now my witnesse is in the heauen, and my record is on hie.
Even now, lo! in the heavens, is my witness,
20 My friends speake eloquently against me: but mine eye powreth out teares vnto God.
And, he that voucheth for me is on high. My friends are, they who scorn me, Unto GOD, hath mine eye shed tears: —
21 Oh that a man might pleade with God, as man with his neighbour!
That one might plead, for a man, with GOD, —Even a son of man, for his friend!
22 For the yeeres accounted come, and I shall go the way, whence I shall not returne.
When, a few years, come, then, by a path by which I shall not return, shall I depart.
