< Job 19 >

1 Then Job answered and said,
But Job answered and said:
2 How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?
How long will ye vex my soul, And break me in pieces with words?
3 These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed [that] ye make yourselves strange to me.
These ten times have ye reviled me; Without shame do ye stun me!
4 And be it indeed [that] I have erred, my error remaineth with myself.
And be it, indeed, that I have erred, My error abideth with myself.
5 If indeed ye will magnify [yourselves] against me, and plead against me my reproach:
Since, indeed, ye magnify yourselves against me, And plead against me my reproach,
6 Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath encompassed me with his net.
Know then that it is God who hath brought me low; He hath encompassed me with his net.
7 Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but [there is] no judgment.
Behold, I complain of wrong, but receive no answer; I cry aloud, but obtain no justice.
8 He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.
He hath fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass, And hath set darkness in my paths.
9 He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown [from] my head.
He hath stripped me of my glory, And taken the crown from my head.
10 He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and my hope hath he removed 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 hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me to him as [one of] his enemies.
He kindleth his anger against me, And counteth me as his enemy.
12 His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp around my tabernacle.
His troops advance together against me; They throw up for themselves a way to me, And encamp around my dwelling.
13 He hath put my brethren far from me, and my acquaintance are verily estranged from me.
My brethren he hath put far from me, And my acquaintance are wholly estranged from me.
14 My kinsmen have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.
My kinsfolk have forsaken me, And my bosom friends have forgotten me.
15 They that dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for 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 called my servant, and he gave [me] no answer; I entreated 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 strange to my wife, though I entreated for the children's [sake] of my own body.
My breath is become strange to my wife, And my prayers also to my own mother's sons.
18 Yes, young children despised me; I arose, and they spoke against me.
Even young children despise me; When I rise up, they speak against me.
19 All my intimate friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.
All my bosom friends abhor me, And they whom I loved are turned against me.
20 My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped with 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, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath 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 ye persecute me as God, and are not 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! oh that they were printed in a book!
O that my words were now written! O that they were marked down in a scroll!
24 That they were graven with an iron pen in lead, in the rock for ever!
That with an iron pen, and with lead, They were engraven upon the rock for ever!
25 For I know [that] my redeemer liveth, and [that] he will stand at the latter [day] upon the earth:
Yet I know that my Vindicator liveth, And will hereafter stand up on the earth;
26 And [though] after my skin [worms] destroy this [body], yet in my flesh shall I see God:
And though with my skin this body be wasted away, Yet without my flesh shall I see God.
27 Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another; [though] my reins be consumed 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 But ye would say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?
Since ye say, “How may we persecute him, And find grounds of accusation against him?”
29 Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath [bringeth] the punishments of the sword, that ye 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.

< Job 19 >