Job 16
1 Then responded Job, and said: —
And Job answered and said,
2 I have heard many such things, Wearisome comforters, are ye all!
I have heard many such things: grievous comforters are ye all.
3 Is there to be an end to windy words? Or what so strongly exciteth thee, that thou must respond?
Shall words of wind have an end? or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?
4 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.
I also could speak as ye: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could join together words against you, and shake my head at you;
5 I could make you determined, by my mouth, and then my lip-solace should restrain you.
[But] I would encourage you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips should assuage [your pain].
6 Though I do speak, unassuaged is my stinging pain, —And, if I forbear, of what am I relieved?
If I speak, my pain is not assuaged; and if I forbear, what am I eased?
7 But, now, hath he wearied me, thou hast destroyed all my family;
But now he hath made me weary; ...thou hast made desolate all my family;
8 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.
Thou hast shrivelled me up! it is become a witness; and my leanness riseth up against me, it beareth witness to my face.
9 His anger, hath torn and persecuted me, He hath gnashed upon me with his teeth, Mine adversary, hath sharpened his eyes for me.
His anger teareth and pursueth me; he gnasheth with his teeth against me; [as] mine adversary he sharpeneth his eyes at me.
10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth, With reproach, have they smitten my cheek, Together, against me, have they closed their ranks.
They gape upon me with their mouth; they smite my cheeks reproachfully; they range themselves together against me.
11 GOD doth abandon me to him that is perverse, and, into the hands of the lawless, he throweth me headlong.
God hath delivered me over to the iniquitous man, and hurled me into the hands of the wicked.
12 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:
I was at rest, but he hath shattered me; he hath taken me by the neck and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
13 His archers came round against me, He clave asunder my reins, and spared not, He poured out, on the earth, my gall:
His arrows encompass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
14 He made a breach in me, breach upon breach, He ran upon me, like a mighty man.
He breaketh me with breach upon breach; he runneth upon me like a mighty man.
15 Sackcloth, sewed I on my skin, and rolled—in the dust—my horn:
I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and rolled my horn in the dust.
16 My face, is reddened from weeping, and, upon mine eyelashes, is the death-shade: —
My face is red with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17 Though no violence was in my hands, and, my prayer, was pure.
Although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
18 O earth! do not cover my blood, and let there be no place for mine outcry.
O earth, cover not my blood, and let there be no place for my cry!
19 Even now, lo! in the heavens, is my witness,
Even now, behold, my Witness is in the heavens, and he that voucheth for me is in the heights.
20 And, he that voucheth for me is on high. My friends are, they who scorn me, Unto GOD, hath mine eye shed tears: —
My friends are my mockers; mine eye poureth out tears unto God.
21 That one might plead, for a man, with GOD, —Even a son of man, for his friend!
Oh that there were arbitration for a man with God, as a son of man for his friend!
22 When, a few years, come, then, by a path by which I shall not return, shall I depart.
For years [few] in number shall pass, — and I shall go the way [whence] I shall not return.
