Job 16
1 And Job answers and says:
And Job made answer and said,
2 “I have heard many such things, Miserable comforters [are] you all.
Such things have frequently come to my ears: you are comforters who only give trouble.
3 Is there an end to words of wind? Or what emboldens you that you answer?
May words which are like the wind be stopped? or what is troubling you to make answer to them?
4 I also, like you, might speak, If your soul were in my soul’s stead. I might join against you with words, And nod at you with my head.
It would not be hard for me to say such things if your souls were in my soul's place; joining words together against you, and shaking my head at you:
5 I might harden you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips might be sparing.
I might give you strength with my mouth, and not keep back the comfort of my lips.
6 If I speak, my pain is not restrained, And I cease—what goes from me?
If I say what is in my mind, my pain becomes no less: and if I keep quiet, how much of it goes from me?
7 Only, now, it has wearied me; You have desolated all my company,
But now he has overcome me with weariness and fear, and I am in the grip of all my trouble.
8 And You loathe me, For it has been a witness, And my failure rises up against me, It testifies in my face.
It has come up as a witness against me, and the wasting of my flesh makes answer to my face.
9 His anger has torn, and He hates me, He has gnashed at me with His teeth, My adversary sharpens His eyes for me.
I am broken by his wrath, and his hate has gone after me; he has made his teeth sharp against me: my haters are looking on me with cruel eyes;
10 They have gaped on me with their mouth, In reproach they have struck my cheeks, Together they set themselves against me.
Their mouths are open wide against me; the blows of his bitter words are falling on my face; all of them come together in a mass against me.
11 God shuts me up to the perverse, And turns me over to the hands of the wicked.
God gives me over to the power of sinners, sending me violently into the hands of evil-doers.
12 I have been at ease, and He breaks me, And He has laid hold on my neck, And He breaks me in pieces, And He raises me to Him for a mark.
I was in comfort, but I have been broken up by his hands; he has taken me by the neck, shaking me to bits; he has put me up as a mark for his arrows.
13 His archers go around against me. He split my reins, and does not spare, He pours out my gall to the earth.
His bowmen come round about me; their arrows go through my body without mercy; my life is drained out on the earth.
14 He breaks me—breach on breach, He runs on me as a mighty one.
I am broken with wound after wound; he comes rushing on me like a man of war.
15 I have sewed sackcloth on my skin, And have rolled my horn in the dust.
I have made haircloth the clothing of my skin, and my horn is rolled in the dust.
16 My face is foul with weeping, And on my eyelids [is] death-shade.
My face is red with weeping, and my eyes are becoming dark;
17 Not for violence in my hands, And my prayer [is] pure.
Though my hands have done no violent acts, and my prayer is clean.
18 O earth, do not cover my blood! And let there not be a place for my cry.
O earth, let not my blood be covered, and let my cry have no resting-place!
19 Also, now, behold, my witness [is] in the heavens, And my testifier in the high places.
Even now my witness is in heaven, and the supporter of my cause is on high.
20 My interpreter [is] my friend, My eye has dropped to God;
My friends make sport of me; to God my eyes are weeping,
21 And He reasons for a man with God, As a son of man for his friend.
So that he may give decision for a man in his cause with God, and between a son of man and his neighbour.
22 When a few years come, Then I go [on] the path of no return.”
For in a short time I will take the journey from which I will not come back.
