Job 16
1 Then responded Job, and said: —
But Job answered and said,
2 I have heard many such things, Wearisome comforters, are ye all!
I have heard many such things: poor comforters are you all.
3 Is there to be an end to windy words? Or what so strongly exciteth thee, that thou must respond?
What! is there any reason in vain words? or what will hinder you from answering?
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 will speak as you [do]: if indeed your soul were in my [soul's] stead, then would I insult you with words, and I would shake my head at you.
5 I could make you determined, by my mouth, and then my lip-solace should restrain you.
And would there were strength in my mouth, and I would not spare the movement of my lips.
6 Though I do speak, unassuaged is my stinging pain, —And, if I forbear, of what am I relieved?
For if I should speak, I shall not feel the pain of my wound: and if I should be silent, how shall I be wounded the less?
7 But, now, hath he wearied me, thou hast destroyed all my family;
But now he has made me weary, and a worn-out fool; and you have laid hold of me.
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.
My falsehood has become a testimony, and has risen up against me: it has confronted me 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.
In his anger he has cast me down; he has gnashed his teeth upon me: the weapons of his robbers have fallen 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.
He has attacked me with the keen glances of his eyes; with his sharp [spear] he has struck me [down] upon my knees; and they have run upon me with one accord.
11 GOD doth abandon me to him that is perverse, and, into the hands of the lawless, he throweth me headlong.
For the Lord has delivered me into the hands of unrighteous men, and thrown me upon the ungodly.
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:
When I was at peace he distracted me: he took me by the hair of the head, and plucked it out: he set me up as a mark.
13 His archers came round against me, He clave asunder my reins, and spared not, He poured out, on the earth, my gall:
They surrounded me with spears, aiming at my reins: without sparing [me] they poured out my gall upon the ground.
14 He made a breach in me, breach upon breach, He ran upon me, like a mighty man.
They overthrew me with fall upon fall: they ran upon me in [their] might.
15 Sackcloth, sewed I on my skin, and rolled—in the dust—my horn:
They sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and my strength has been spent on the ground.
16 My face, is reddened from weeping, and, upon mine eyelashes, is the death-shade: —
My belly has been parched with wailing, and darkness is on my eyelids.
17 Though no violence was in my hands, and, my prayer, was pure.
Yet there was no injustice 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.
Earth, cover not over the blood of my flesh, and let my cry have no place.
19 Even now, lo! in the heavens, is my witness,
And now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my advocate 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: —
Let my supplication come to the Lord, and let mine eye weep before him.
21 That one might plead, for a man, with GOD, —Even a son of man, for his friend!
Oh that a man might plead before the Lord, even [as] the son of man with his neighbor!
22 When, a few years, come, then, by a path by which I shall not return, shall I depart.
But my years are numbered and [their end] come, and I shall go by the way by which I shall not return.
