Job 16

1 Job replied [to Eliphaz and the others: ]

Then answered Job, 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 things such as these: troublesome 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 there be any end to words of wind? or what compelleth thee that thou shouldst answer?

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 well speak as ye do: if your soul were but in my soul's stead, I could overwhelm you with words, and could 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.

But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the condolence of my lips should restrain [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 were to speak, my pain would not be restrained; and though I should forbear, what will go away from me?

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 filled me with wrinkles, they are my witnesses; and my leanness riseth up for me, giveth its testimony 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.

In his wrath he teareth me to pieces, and assaileth me: he gnasheth over me with his teeth; my adversary sendeth threatening looks at 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 now open wide against me their mouth; reproachfully they smite my cheek: altogether do they assemble against me.

11 [It is as though] God has handed me over to ungodly people and turned me over to the wicked [DOU].

God hath surrendered me to the unjust, and cast me down 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, but he hath crushed me; he hath also grasped me by the neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up unto himself as a 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 encompass me round about; he cleaveth my reins sunder, and doth not pity; he poureth out upon the ground my gall;

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 down with breach upon breach; he runneth against me like a mighty man.

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.

Sackcloth have I sewed upon my skin, and my horn I roll in the dust.

16 My face is red because I have cried very much, and there are dark circles around my eyes.

My face gloweth from weeping, and on my eyelids resteth 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].

Not because any violence is in my hands, and while 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.

Earth! do thou not cover up my blood, and let no place restrain my cry.

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 the heavens, and one that testifieth for me is on high.

20 My [three] friends scorn/ridicule me, but my eyes are full of tears [while I cry out] to God.

Are my friends my defenders? unto God my eye poureth out [its tears].

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.

And oh that a man might plead with God, as one son of earth with the other!

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 when the numbered years are passed, then must I travel a path whence I cannot return.