Job 6
1 And Job answers and says:
Then Job answered and said,
2 “O that my provocation were thoroughly weighed, And my calamity in balances They would lift up together!
O that my grief were but weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances!
3 For now it is heavier than the sands of the sea, Therefore my words have been rash.
For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas. Therefore my words have been rash.
4 For arrows of the Mighty [are] with me, Whose poison is drinking up my spirit. Terrors of God array themselves [for] me!
For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison of which my spirit drinks up. The terrors of God set themselves in array against me.
5 Does a wild donkey bray over tender grass? Does an ox low over his provender?
Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass? Or the ox moo over his fodder?
6 Is an insipid thing eaten without salt? Is there sense in the drivel of dreams?
Can that which has no savor be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
7 My soul is refusing to touch! They [are] as my sickening food.
My soul refuses to touch them. They are as loathsome food to me.
8 O that my request may come, That God may grant my hope!
O that I might have my request, and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!
9 That God would please—and bruise me, Loose His hand and cut me off!
Even that it would please God to crush me, that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!
10 And yet it is my comfort (And I exult in pain—He does not spare), That I have not hidden The sayings of the Holy One.
And be it still my consolation, yea, let me exult (in pain that does not spare), that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
11 What [is] my power that I should hope? And what [is] my end that I should prolong my life?
What is my strength that I should wait? And what is my end that I should be patient?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones? Is my flesh bronze?
Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh of brass?
13 Is my help not with me, And substance driven from me?
Is it not that I have no help in me, and that wisdom is driven quite from me?
14 To a despiser of his friends [is] shame, And the fear of the Mighty he forsakes.
To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be from his friend, even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
15 My brothers have deceived as a brook, As a stream of brooks they pass away.
My brothers have dealt deceitfully as a brook, as the channel of brooks that pass away,
16 That are black because of ice, By them snow hides itself.
which are black because of the ice, in which the snow hides itself.
17 By the time they are warm they have been cut off, By its being hot they have been Extinguished from their place.
What time they grow warm, they vanish. When it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.
18 The paths turn aside of their way, They ascend into emptiness, and are lost.
The caravans that travel by the way of them turn aside. They go up into the waste, and perish.
19 Passengers of Tema looked expectingly, Travelers of Sheba hoped for them.
The caravans of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.
20 They were ashamed that one has trusted, They have come to it and are confounded.
They were put to shame because they had hoped. They came there, and were confounded.
21 Surely now you have become the same! You see a downfall, and are afraid.
For now ye are nothing. Ye see a terror, and are afraid.
22 Is it because I said, Give to me? And, By your power bribe for me?
Did I say, Give to me? Or, Offer a present for me from your substance?
23 And, Deliver me from the hand of an adversary? And, Ransom me from the hand of terrible ones?
Or, Deliver me from the adversary's hand? Or, Redeem me from the hand of the oppressors?
24 Show me, and I keep silent, And what I have erred, let me understand.
Teach me, and I will be quiet. And cause me to understand how I have erred.
25 How powerful have been upright sayings, And what reproof from you reproves?
How forcible are words of uprightness! But your reproof, what does it reprove?
26 For reproof—do you reckon words? And for wind—sayings of the desperate?
Do ye think to reprove words, seeing that the speeches of a man who is desperate are as wind?
27 You cause anger to fall on the fatherless, And are strange to your friend.
Yea, ye would cast lots upon the fatherless, and make merchandise of your friend.
28 And now, please, look on me, Even to your face do I lie?
Now therefore be pleased to look upon me, for truly I shall not lie to your face.
29 Please turn back, let it not be perverseness, Indeed, turn back again—my righteousness [is] in it.
Return, I pray you, let there be no injustice. Yea, return again, my cause is righteous.
30 Is there perverseness in my tongue? Does my palate not discern calamity?”
Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern mischievous things?
