Job 16
1 And Job answers and says:
Then responded Job, and said: —
2 “I have heard many such things, Miserable comforters [are] you all.
I have heard many such things, Wearisome comforters, are ye all!
3 Is there an end to words of wind? Or what emboldens you that you answer?
Is there to be an end to windy words? Or what so strongly exciteth thee, that thou must respond?
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.
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 I might harden you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips might be sparing.
I could make you determined, by my mouth, and then my lip-solace should restrain you.
6 If I speak, my pain is not restrained, And I cease—what goes from me?
Though I do speak, unassuaged is my stinging pain, —And, if I forbear, of what am I relieved?
7 Only, now, it has wearied me; You have desolated all my company,
But, now, hath he wearied me, thou hast destroyed all my family;
8 And You loathe me, For it has been a witness, And my failure rises up against me, It testifies 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 anger has torn, and He hates me, He has gnashed at me with His teeth, My adversary sharpens His eyes for 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 have gaped on me with their mouth, In reproach they have struck my cheeks, Together they set themselves 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 shuts me up to the perverse, And turns me over to 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 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.
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 go around against me. He split my reins, and does not spare, He pours out my gall to the earth.
His archers came round against me, He clave asunder my reins, and spared not, He poured out, on the earth, my gall:
14 He breaks me—breach on breach, He runs on me as a mighty one.
He made a breach in me, breach upon breach, He ran upon me, like a mighty man.
15 I have sewed sackcloth on my skin, And have rolled my horn in the dust.
Sackcloth, sewed I on my skin, and rolled—in the dust—my horn:
16 My face is foul with weeping, And on my eyelids [is] death-shade.
My face, is reddened from weeping, and, upon mine eyelashes, is the death-shade: —
17 Not for violence in my hands, And my prayer [is] pure.
Though no violence was in my hands, and, my prayer, was pure.
18 O earth, do not cover my blood! And let there not be a place for my cry.
O earth! do not cover my blood, and let there be no place for mine outcry.
19 Also, now, behold, my witness [is] in the heavens, And my testifier in the high places.
Even now, lo! in the heavens, is my witness,
20 My interpreter [is] my friend, My eye has dropped to 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 And He reasons for a man with God, As a son of man for his friend.
That one might plead, for a man, with GOD, —Even a son of man, for his friend!
22 When a few years come, Then I go [on] the path of no return.”
When, a few years, come, then, by a path by which I shall not return, shall I depart.
