Job 16
1 And Job answereth and saith: —
But Job answered and said,
2 I have heard many such things, Miserable comforters [are] ye all.
I have heard many such things: poor comforters are you all.
3 Is there an end to words of wind? Or what doth embolden thee that thou answerest?
What! is there any reason in vain words? or what will hinder you from answering?
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 also will speak as you [do]: if indeed your soul were in my [soul's] stead, then would I insult you with words, and I would shake my head at you.
5 I might harden you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips might be sparing.
And would there were strength in my mouth, and I would not spare the movement of my lips.
6 If I speak, my pain is not restrained, And I cease — what goeth from me?
For if I should speak, I shall not feel the pain of my wound: and if I should be silent, how shall I be wounded the less?
7 Only, now, it hath wearied me; Thou hast desolated all my company,
But now he has made me weary, and a worn-out fool; and you have laid hold of me.
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.
My falsehood has become a testimony, and has risen up against me: it has confronted me to my face.
9 His anger hath torn, and he hateth me, He hath gnashed at me with his teeth, My adversary sharpeneth his eyes for me.
In his anger he has cast me down; he has gnashed his teeth upon me: the weapons of his robbers have fallen upon me.
10 They have gaped on me with their mouth, In reproach they have smitten my cheeks, Together against me they set themselves.
He has attacked me with the keen glances of his eyes; with his sharp [spear] he has struck me [down] upon my knees; and they have run upon me with one accord.
11 God shutteth me up unto the perverse, And to the hands of the wicked turneth me over.
For the Lord has delivered me into the hands of unrighteous men, and thrown me upon the ungodly.
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.
When I was at peace he distracted me: he took me by the hair of the head, and plucked it out: he set me up as a mark.
13 Go round against me do his archers. He splitteth my reins, and spareth not, He poureth out to the earth my gall.
They surrounded me with spears, aiming at my reins: without sparing [me] they poured out my gall upon the ground.
14 He breaketh me — breach upon breach, He runneth upon me as a mighty one.
They overthrew me with fall upon fall: they ran upon me in [their] might.
15 Sackcloth I have sewed on my skin, And have rolled in the dust my horn.
They sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and my strength has been spent on the ground.
16 My face is foul with weeping, And on mine eyelids [is] death-shade.
My belly has been parched with wailing, and darkness is on my eyelids.
17 Not for violence in my hands, And my prayer [is] pure.
Yet there was no injustice in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
18 O earth, do not thou cover my blood! And let there not be a place for my cry.
Earth, cover not over the blood of my flesh, and let my cry have no place.
19 Also, now, lo, in the heavens [is] my witness, And my testifier in the high places.
And now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high.
20 My interpreter [is] my friend, Unto God hath mine eye dropped:
Let my supplication come to the Lord, and let mine eye weep before him.
21 And he reasoneth for a man with God, And a son of man for his friend.
Oh that a man might plead before the Lord, even [as] the son of man with his neighbour!
22 When a few years do come, Then a path I return not do I go.
But my years are numbered and [their end] come, and I shall go by the way by which I shall not return.
