Job 16
1 Then answered Job, and said,
Then responded Job, and said: —
2 I have heard many things such as these: troublesome comforters are ye all.
I have heard many such things, Wearisome comforters, are ye all!
3 Shall there be any end to words of wind? or what compelleth thee that thou shouldst answer?
Is there to be an end to windy words? Or what so strongly exciteth thee, that thou must respond?
4 I also could well speak as ye do: if your soul were but in my soul's stead, I could overwhelm you with words, and could shake my 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 would strengthen you with my mouth, and the condolence of my lips should restrain [your grief].
I could make you determined, by my mouth, and then my lip-solace should restrain you.
6 Though I were to speak, my pain would not be restrained; and though I should forbear, what will go away from me?
Though I do speak, unassuaged is my stinging pain, —And, if I forbear, of what am I relieved?
7 But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.
But, now, hath he wearied me, thou hast destroyed all my family;
8 And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, they are my witnesses; and my leanness riseth up for me, giveth its testimony to 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 In his wrath he teareth me to pieces, and assaileth me: he gnasheth over me with his teeth; my adversary sendeth threatening looks at 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 now open wide against me their mouth; reproachfully they smite my cheek: altogether do they assemble 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 surrendered me to the unjust, and cast me down into 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 at ease, but he hath crushed me; he hath also grasped me by the neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up unto himself as a mark;
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 encompass me round about; he cleaveth my reins sunder, and doth not pity; he poureth out upon the ground my gall;
His archers came round against me, He clave asunder my reins, and spared not, He poured out, on the earth, my gall:
14 He breaketh me down with breach upon breach; he runneth against me like a mighty man.
He made a breach in me, breach upon breach, He ran upon me, like a mighty man.
15 Sackcloth have I sewed upon my skin, and my horn I roll in the dust.
Sackcloth, sewed I on my skin, and rolled—in the dust—my horn:
16 My face gloweth from weeping, and on my eyelids resteth the shadow of death:
My face, is reddened from weeping, and, upon mine eyelashes, is the death-shade: —
17 Not because any violence is in my hands, and while my prayer is pure.
Though no violence was in my hands, and, my prayer, was pure.
18 Earth! do thou not cover up my blood, and let no place restrain my cry.
O earth! do not cover my blood, and let there be no place for mine outcry.
19 Even now, behold, my witness is in the heavens, and one that testifieth for me is on high.
Even now, lo! in the heavens, is my witness,
20 Are my friends my defenders? unto God my eye poureth out [its tears].
And, he that voucheth for me is on high. My friends are, they who scorn me, Unto GOD, hath mine eye shed tears: —
21 And oh that a man might plead with God, as one son of earth with the other!
That one might plead, for a man, with GOD, —Even a son of man, for his friend!
22 For when the numbered years are passed, then must I travel a path whence I cannot return.
When, a few years, come, then, by a path by which I shall not return, shall I depart.
