Job 16
1 Then responded Job, and said: —
THEN Job answered and said,
2 I have heard many such things, Wearisome comforters, are ye all!
I have heard many such things: miserable 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 vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth 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 do: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.
5 I could make you determined, by my mouth, and then my lip-solace should restrain you.
But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.
6 Though I do speak, unassuaged is my stinging pain, —And, if I forbear, of what am I relieved?
Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though 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 company.
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.
And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me 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.
He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon 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 have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered 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 to the ungodly, and turned me over 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 ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my 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 archers compass 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 giant.
15 Sackcloth, sewed I on my skin, and rolled—in the dust—my horn:
I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.
16 My face, is reddened from weeping, and, upon mine eyelashes, is the death-shade: —
My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17 Though no violence was in my hands, and, my prayer, was pure.
Not for any injustice in mine hands: also 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 thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.
19 Even now, lo! in the heavens, is my witness,
Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.
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 scorn me: but 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!
O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
22 When, a few years, come, then, by a path by which I shall not return, shall I depart.
When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.
