Job 19
1 Then Job answered and said,
But Job answered and said:
2 “How long will you make me suffer and break me into pieces with words?
How long will ye vex my soul, And break me in pieces with words?
3 These ten times you have reproached me; you are not ashamed that you have treated me harshly.
These ten times have ye reviled me; Without shame do ye stun me!
4 If it is indeed true that I have erred, my error remains my own concern.
And be it, indeed, that I have erred, My error abideth with myself.
5 If indeed you will exalt yourselves above me and use my humiliation against me,
Since, indeed, ye magnify yourselves against me, And plead against me my reproach,
6 then you should know that God has done wrong to me and has caught me in his net.
Know then that it is God who hath brought me low; He hath encompassed me with his net.
7 See, I cry out, “Violence!” but I get no answer. I call out for help, but there is no justice.
Behold, I complain of wrong, but receive no answer; I cry aloud, but obtain no justice.
8 He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, and he has set darkness in my path.
He hath fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass, And hath set darkness in my paths.
9 He has stripped me of my glory, and he has taken the crown from my head.
He hath stripped me of my glory, And taken the crown from my head.
10 He has broken me down on every side, and I am gone; he has pulled up my hope like a tree.
He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone! He hath torn up my hope like a tree.
11 He has also kindled his wrath against me; he regards me as one of his adversaries.
He kindleth his anger against me, And counteth me as his enemy.
12 His troops come on together; they cast up siege mounds against me and encamp around my tent.
His troops advance together against me; They throw up for themselves a way to me, And encamp around my dwelling.
13 He has put my brothers far from me; my acquaintances are wholly alienated from me.
My brethren he hath put far from me, And my acquaintance are wholly estranged from me.
14 My kinsfolk have failed me; my close friends have forgotten me.
My kinsfolk have forsaken me, And my bosom friends have forgotten me.
15 Those who once stayed as guests in my house and my female servants regard me as a stranger; I am an alien in their sight.
The foreigners of my house, yea, my own maid-servants, regard me as a stranger; I am an alien in their eyes.
16 I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer although I entreat him with my mouth.
I call my servant, and he maketh no answer; With my own mouth do I entreat him.
17 My breath is offensive to my wife; I am even disgusting to those who were born from my mother's womb.
My breath is become strange to my wife, And my prayers also to my own mother's sons.
18 Even young children despise me; if I rise to speak, they speak against me.
Even young children despise me; When I rise up, they speak against me.
19 All my familiar friends abhor me; those whom I love have turned against me.
All my bosom friends abhor me, And they whom I loved are turned against me.
20 My bones cling to my skin and to my flesh; I survive only by the skin of my teeth.
My bones cleave to my flesh and my skin, And I have scarcely escaped with the skin of my teeth.
21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, my friends, for the hand of God has touched me.
Have pity upon me, O ye my friends! have pity upon me; For the hand of God hath smitten me!
22 Why do you pursue me like God does? Will you ever be satisfied with my flesh?
Why do ye persecute me like God, And are not satisfied with my flesh?
23 Oh, that my words were now written down! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!
O that my words were now written! O that they were marked down in a scroll!
24 Oh, that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!
That with an iron pen, and with lead, They were engraven upon the rock for ever!
25 But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that at last he will stand on the earth;
Yet I know that my Vindicator liveth, And will hereafter stand up on the earth;
26 after my skin, that is, this body, is destroyed, then in my flesh I will see God.
And though with my skin this body be wasted away, Yet without my flesh shall I see God.
27 I will see him with my own eyes—I, and not someone else. My heart fails within me.
Yea, I shall see him my friend; My eyes shall behold him, and not another: For this, my soul panteth within me.
28 If you say, 'How we will persecute him! The root of his troubles lies in him,'
Since ye say, “How may we persecute him, And find grounds of accusation against him?”
29 then be afraid of the sword, because wrath brings the punishment of the sword, so that you may know there is a judgment.”
Be ye afraid of the sword! For malice is a crime for the sword; That ye may know that judgment cometh.
