Job 16
1 Job replied [to Eliphaz and the others: ]
Then Job answered and said:
2 “I have heard things like that before; all of you, [instead of helping me, ] are only causing me to feel more miserable.
I have heard many such things; sorry comforters are ye all.
3 Will your speeches, which are only hot air, never end [RHQ]? Eliphaz, what bothers/irritates you so much that you continue replying to me?
Shall windy words have an end? Or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?
4 If it were you [three and not I] who were suffering, I could say the things that you are saying; I could make great speeches [to criticize/condemn you], and I could shake my head at you [to ridicule you].
I also could speak as ye do; if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could join words together against you, and shake my head at you.
5 But, [unlike all of you, ] with what I said [MTY] I would encourage you and try to cause your pain to be less.
I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips would assuage your grief.
6 “But now, if I talk, my pain does not decrease, and if I am silent, my pain still certainly does not [RHQ] go away.
Though I speak, my pain is not assuaged; and though I forbear, what am I eased?
7 God has now taken away all my strength, and he has destroyed my family.
But now He hath made me weary; Thou hast made desolate all my company.
8 He has shriveled me up, and people think that shows that I [am a sinner]. And people see that I am only skin and bones, and they think that proves that I [am guilty].
And Thou hast shrivelled me up, which is a witness against me; and my leanness riseth up against me, it testifieth to my face.
9 Because God is very angry with me and hates me, [it is as though he is a wild animal that] [MET] has gnashed his teeth at me because he is my enemy.
He hath torn me in His wrath, and hated me; He hath gnashed upon me with His teeth; mine adversary sharpeneth his eyes upon me.
10 People gape/stare at me with their mouths open [to sneer at me]; they have struck me on the face/cheek to ridicule me, and they crowd around me to threaten me.
They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek scornfully; they gather themselves together against me.
11 [It is as though] God has handed me over to ungodly people and turned me over to the wicked [DOU].
God delivereth me to the ungodly, and casteth me into the hands of the wicked.
12 Previously, I was living peacefully, but he crushed me; [it is as though] he grabbed my neck and smashed me to pieces. [It is as though] [MET] he set me up like a target;
I was at ease, and He broke me asunder; yea, He hath taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces; He hath also set me up for His mark.
13 people are surrounding me [and shooting arrows at me]. His arrows pierce my kidneys and cause the bile [from my liver] to spill onto the ground, and God does not pity me at all.
His archers compass me round about, He cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; He poureth out my gall upon the ground.
14 [It is as though] [MET] I am a wall that he is breaking through; he rushes at me like [SIM] a soldier [attacking his enemies].
He breaketh me with breach upon breach; He runneth upon me like a giant.
15 [“Because I am mourning, ] I wear pieces of rough cloth that I have sewed together, and I sit [here] in the dirt, very depressed/discouraged.
I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and have laid my horn in the dust.
16 My face is red because I have cried very much, and there are dark circles around my eyes.
My face is reddened with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17 [All this has happened to me] even though I have not acted violently [toward anyone], and I [always] pray sincerely/honestly [to God].
Although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
18 [When I die, ] I want the ground [APO] to [act as though I had been murdered and] cry out against those who killed me, and I do not want anyone to stop me while I am demanding [that God act justly toward] me.
O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no resting-place.
19 But even now, [I know that] there is someone in heaven who will testify for me, and he will say that what I have done is right.
Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven, and He that testifieth of me is on high.
20 My [three] friends scorn/ridicule me, but my eyes are full of tears [while I cry out] to God.
Mine inward thoughts are my intercessors, mine eye poureth out tears unto God;
21 I pray that [the] one [who knows what I have done] would come to plead with God for me like people plead for their friends.
That He would set aright a man contending with God, as a son of man setteth aright his neighbour!
22 [I say this because] within a few years [I will die]; I will walk along the [to the grave] from which I will never return.”
For the years that are few are coming on, and I shall go the way whence I shall not return.
