Job 16
1 Then responded Job, and said: —
And Job answereth and saith: —
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?
Is there an end to words of wind? Or what doth embolden 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, like you, might speak, If your soul were in my soul's stead. I might join against you with words, And nod at you with my head.
5 I could make you determined, by my mouth, and then my lip-solace should restrain you.
I might harden you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips might be sparing.
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 restrained, And I cease — what goeth from me?
7 But, now, hath he wearied me, thou hast destroyed all my family;
Only, now, it hath wearied me; Thou hast desolated 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 dost loathe me, For a witness it hath been, And rise up against me doth my failure, In my face it testifieth.
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 hath torn, and he hateth me, He hath gnashed at me with his teeth, My adversary sharpeneth his eyes for 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 on me with their mouth, In reproach they have smitten my cheeks, Together against me they set themselves.
11 GOD doth abandon me to him that is perverse, and, into the hands of the lawless, he throweth me headlong.
God shutteth me up unto the perverse, And to the hands of the wicked turneth me over.
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:
At ease I have been, and he breaketh me, And he hath laid hold on my neck, And he breaketh me in pieces, And he raiseth me to him for 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:
Go round against me do his archers. He splitteth my reins, and spareth not, He poureth out to the earth my gall.
14 He made a breach in me, breach upon breach, He ran upon me, like a mighty man.
He breaketh me — breach upon breach, He runneth upon me as a mighty one.
15 Sackcloth, sewed I on my skin, and rolled—in the dust—my horn:
Sackcloth I have sewed on my skin, And have rolled in the dust my horn.
16 My face, is reddened from weeping, and, upon mine eyelashes, is the death-shade: —
My face is foul with weeping, And on mine eyelids [is] death-shade.
17 Though no violence was in my hands, and, my prayer, was pure.
Not for 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, do not thou cover my blood! And let there not be a place for my cry.
19 Even now, lo! in the heavens, is my witness,
Also, now, lo, in the heavens [is] my witness, And my testifier in the high places.
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 interpreter [is] my friend, Unto God hath mine eye dropped:
21 That one might plead, for a man, with GOD, —Even a son of man, for his friend!
And he reasoneth for a man with God, And 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.
When a few years do come, Then a path I return not do I go.
