< Job 16 >
1 And Job answereth and saith: —
Then Job answered:
2 I have heard many such things, Miserable comforters [are] ye all.
“I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all.
3 Is there an end to words of wind? Or what doth embolden thee that thou answerest?
Is there no end to your long-winded speeches? What provokes you to continue testifying?
4 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.
I could also speak like you if you were in my place; I could heap up words against you and shake my head at you.
5 I might harden you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips might be sparing.
But I would encourage you with my mouth, and the consolation of my lips would bring relief.
6 If I speak, my pain is not restrained, And I cease — what goeth from me?
Even if I speak, my pain is not relieved, and if I hold back, how will it go away?
7 Only, now, it hath wearied me; Thou hast desolated all my company,
Surely He has now exhausted me; You have devastated all my family.
8 And Thou dost loathe me, For a witness it hath been, And rise up against me doth my failure, In my face it testifieth.
You have bound me, and it has become a witness; my frailty rises up and testifies against me.
9 His anger hath torn, and he hateth me, He hath gnashed at me with his teeth, My adversary sharpeneth his eyes for me.
His anger has torn me and opposed me; He gnashes His teeth at me. My adversary pierces me with His eyes.
10 They have gaped on me with their mouth, In reproach they have smitten my cheeks, Together against me they set themselves.
They open their mouths against me and strike my cheeks with contempt; they join together against me.
11 God shutteth me up unto the perverse, And to the hands of the wicked turneth me over.
God has delivered me to unjust men; He has thrown me to the clutches of the wicked.
12 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.
I was at ease, but He shattered me; He seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has set me up as His target;
13 Go round against me do his archers. He splitteth my reins, and spareth not, He poureth out to the earth my gall.
His archers surround me. He pierces my kidneys without mercy and spills my gall on the ground.
14 He breaketh me — breach upon breach, He runneth upon me as a mighty one.
He breaks me with wound upon wound; He rushes me like a mighty warrior.
15 Sackcloth I have sewed on my skin, And have rolled in the dust my horn.
I have sewn sackcloth over my skin; I have buried my horn in the dust.
16 My face is foul with weeping, And on mine eyelids [is] death-shade.
My face is red with weeping, and deep shadows ring my eyes;
17 Not for violence in my hands, And my prayer [is] pure.
yet my hands are free of violence and my prayer is pure.
18 O earth, do not thou cover my blood! And let there not be a place for my cry.
O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry for help never be laid to rest.
19 Also, now, lo, in the heavens [is] my witness, And my testifier in the high places.
Even now my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high.
20 My interpreter [is] my friend, Unto God hath mine eye dropped:
My friends are my scoffers as my eyes pour out tears to God.
21 And he reasoneth for a man with God, And a son of man for his friend.
Oh, that a man might plead with God as he pleads with his neighbor!
22 When a few years do come, Then a path I return not do I go.
For when only a few years are past I will go the way of no return.