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!
Oh that my vexation were but weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances altogether!
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 are my words broken.
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 whereof my spirit drinketh up; the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.
5 Does a wild donkey bray over tender grass? Does an ox low over his provender?
Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?
6 Is an insipid thing eaten without salt? Is there sense in the drivel of dreams?
Can that which hath no savour be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the juice of mallows?
7 My soul is refusing to touch! They [are] as my sickening food.
My soul refuseth to touch them; they are as the sickness of my flesh.
8 O that my request may come, That God may grant my hope!
Oh 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.
Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would exult in pain, though He spare not; for 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 mine 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 that I have no help in me, and that sound 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 that is ready to faint kindness is due from his friend, even to him that forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.
15 My brothers have deceived as a brook, As a stream of brooks they pass away.
My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, as the channel of brooks that overflow,
16 That are black because of ice, By them snow hides itself.
Which are black by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow hideth 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 wax 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 paths of their way do wind, they go up into the waste, and are lost.
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 ashamed because they had hoped; they came thither, and were confounded.
21 Surely now you have become the same! You see a downfall, and are afraid.
For now ye are become His; 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 unto me'? or: 'Offer a present for me of 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 hold my peace; and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
25 How powerful have been upright sayings, And what reproof from you reproves?
How forcible are words of uprightness! But what doth your arguing argue?
26 For reproof—do you reckon words? And for wind—sayings of the desperate?
Do ye hold words to be an argument, but the speeches of one that is desperate to be 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 dig a pit for 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 surely 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 crafty devices?
