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!
Of such things as these I have heard enough! 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?
Will there ever be an end to words of wind? What stirreth thee up, 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 might speak like you, If ye were now in my place; I might string 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.
I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the consolation of my lips should sustain you.
6 Though I do speak, unassuaged is my stinging pain, —And, if I forbear, of what am I relieved?
If I speak, my grief is not assuaged; And if I forbear, it doth not leave me.
7 But, now, hath he wearied me, thou hast destroyed all my family;
For now He hath quite exhausted me; Thou hast desolated all my house!
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 seized hold of me, and this is a witness against me; My leanness riseth up and testifieth against 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.
His anger teareth my flesh, and pursueth me; He gnasheth upon me with his teeth; My adversary 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 gape for me with their mouths; In scorn they smite me on the cheek; With one consent they assemble 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 given me a prey to the unrighteous, And delivered 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 ease, but he hath crushed me; He hath seized me by the neck, and dashed me in pieces; He hath 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 encompass me around; He pierceth my reins, 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 rusheth upon me like a warrior.
15 Sackcloth, sewed I on my skin, and rolled—in the dust—my horn:
I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, And thrust my horn into the dust.
16 My face, is reddened from weeping, and, upon mine eyelashes, is the death-shade: —
My face is red with weeping, And upon my eyelids is deathlike darkness.
17 Though no violence was in my hands, and, my prayer, was pure.
Yet is there no injustice in my bands. And my prayer hath been 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 there be no hiding-place for my cry!
19 Even now, lo! in the heavens, is my witness,
Yet even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, And he who knoweth me 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 have me in derision, But my 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 contend for a man with God, As a man contendeth with his neighbor!
22 When, a few years, come, then, by a path by which I shall not return, shall I depart.
For when a few years shall have passed, I shall go the way whence I shall not return.
