Job 6
1 And Job answereth and saith: —
Then Job answered and said,
2 O that my provocation were thoroughly weighed, And my calamity in balances They would lift up together!
“Oh, if only my anguish were weighed; if only all my calamity were laid in the balance!
3 For now, than the sands of the sea it is heavier, Therefore my words have been rash.
For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas. That is why my words were reckless.
4 For arrows of the Mighty [are] with me, Whose poison is drinking up my spirit. Terrors of God array themselves [for] me!
For the arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks up the poison; the terrors of God have arranged themselves in array against me.
5 Brayeth a wild ass over tender grass? Loweth an ox over his provender?
Does the wild donkey bray in despair when he has grass? Or does the ox low in hunger when it has fodder?
6 Eaten is an insipid thing without salt? Is there sense in the drivel of dreams?
Can that which has no taste be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
7 My soul is refusing to touch! They [are] as my sickening food.
I refuse to touch them; they are like disgusting food to me.
8 O that my request may come, That God may grant my hope!
Oh, that I might have my request; oh, that God would grant me the thing I long for:
9 That God would please — and bruise me, Loose His hand and cut me off!
that it would please God to crush me once, that he would let loose his hand and cut me off from this life!
10 And yet it is my comfort, (And I exult in pain — He doth not spare, ) That I have not hidden The sayings of the Holy One.
May this still be my consolation— even if I exult in pain that does not lessen: that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
11 What [is] my power that I should hope? And what mine end That I should prolong my life?
What is my strength, that I should try to wait? What is my end, that I should prolong my life?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones? Is my flesh brazen?
Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh made of bronze?
13 Is not my help with me, And substance driven from me?
Is it not true that I have no help in myself, and that wisdom has been driven out of me?
14 To a despiser of his friends [is] shame, And the fear of the Mighty he forsaketh.
To the person who is about to faint, faithfulness should be shown by his friend; even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
15 My brethren have deceived as a brook, As a stream of brooks they pass away.
But my brothers have been as faithful to me as a desert streambed, as channels of water that pass away to nothing,
16 That are black because of ice, By them doth snow hide itself.
which are darkened because of ice over them, and because of the snow that hides itself in them.
17 By the time they are warm they have been cut off, By its being hot they have been Extinguished from their place.
When they thaw out, they vanish; when it is hot, they melt out of their place.
18 Turn aside do the paths of their way, They ascend into emptiness, and are lost.
The caravans that travel by their way turn aside for water; they wander into barren land and then perish.
19 Passengers of Tema looked expectingly, Travellers of Sheba hoped for them.
Caravans from Tema looked there, while companies of Sheba hoped in them.
20 They were ashamed that one hath trusted, They have come unto it and are confounded.
They were disappointed because they had been confident of finding water. They went there, but they were deceived.
21 Surely now ye have become the same! Ye see a downfall, and are afraid.
For now you friends are nothing to me; you see my dreadful situation and are afraid.
22 Is it because I said, Give to me? And, By your power bribe for me?
Did I say to you, 'Give something to me?' Or, 'Offer me a gift from your wealth?'
23 And, Deliver me from the hand of an adversary? And, From the hand of terrible ones ransom me?
Or, 'Save me from my adversary's hand?' Or, 'Ransom me from the hand of my oppressors?'
24 Shew me, and I — I keep silent, And what I have erred, let me understand.
Teach me, and I will hold my peace; make me understand where I have been wrong.
25 How powerful have been upright sayings, And what doth reproof from you reprove?
How painful are truthful words! But your arguments, how do they actually rebuke me?
26 For reproof — do you reckon words? And for wind — sayings of the desperate.
Do you plan to ignore my words, treating the words of a desperate man like the wind?
27 Anger on the fatherless ye cause to fall, And are strange to your friend.
Indeed, you cast lots for a fatherless child, and haggle over your friend like merchandise.
28 And, now, please, look upon me, Even to your face do I lie?
Now, therefore, please look at me, for surely I would not lie to your face.
29 Turn back, I pray you, let it not be perverseness, Yea, turn back again — my righteousness [is] in it.
Relent, I beg you; let there be no injustice with you; Indeed, relent, for my cause is just.
30 Is there in my tongue perverseness? Discerneth not my palate desirable things?
Is there evil on my tongue? Cannot my mouth detect malicious things?
