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; you are all miserable comforters.
3 Is there to be an end to windy words? Or what so strongly exciteth thee, that thou must respond?
Will useless words ever have an end? What is wrong with you that you answer like this?
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 you do, if you were in my place; I could collect and join words together against you and shake my head at you in mockery.
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 quivering of my lips will bring you relief!
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 lessened; if I keep from speaking, how am I helped?
7 But, now, hath he wearied me, thou hast destroyed all my family;
But now, God, you have made me weary; you have made all my family desolate.
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.
You have made me dry up, which itself is a witness against me; the leanness of my body rises up against me, and it testifies against 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.
God has torn me in his wrath and persecuted me; He grinds his teeth in rage; my enemy fastens his eyes on me as he tears me apart.
10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth, With reproach, have they smitten my cheek, Together, against me, have they closed their ranks.
People have gaped with open mouth at me; they have hit me reproachfully on the cheek; they have gathered 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 hands me over to ungodly people, and throws me into the hands of wicked people.
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, and he broke me apart. Indeed, he has taken me by the neck and dashed me to pieces; he has also set me up as his target.
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 surround me all around; God pierces my kidneys and does not spare me; he pours out my bile on the ground.
14 He made a breach in me, breach upon breach, He ran upon me, like a mighty man.
He smashes through my wall again and again; he runs upon me like a warrior.
15 Sackcloth, sewed I on my skin, and rolled—in the dust—my horn:
I have sewn sackcloth on my skin; I have thrust my horn into the ground.
16 My face, is reddened from weeping, and, upon mine eyelashes, is the death-shade: —
My face is red with weeping; 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.
Earth, do not cover up my blood; let my cry have no resting place.
19 Even now, lo! in the heavens, is my witness,
Even now, see, my witness is in heaven; he who vouches for 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 scoff at me, but my eye pours out tears to God.
21 That one might plead, for a man, with GOD, —Even a son of man, for his friend!
I ask for that witness in heaven to argue for this man with God as a man does 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 have passed, I will go to a place from where I will not return.
