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