Job 16
1Then Job, answering, said:
2I have often heard such things; you are all aggravating comforters.
3Will there be no end to windy words? Or is it at all a burden to you, if you speak?
4I, too, can speak like you; and I also wish that your soul favored my soul.
5I would also comfort you with speeches and would wag my head over you.
6I would strengthen you with my mouth, and would move my lips, as if being lenient to you.
7But what can I do? When I am speaking, my grief will not be quiet; and if I am quiet, it will not withdraw from me.
8But now my grief has crushed me, and all my limbs have been reduced to nothing.
9My wrinkles bear witness against me, and a liar rises up against my face, contradicting me.
10He has gathered together his fury towards me, and, threatening me, he has roared against me with his teeth; my enemy has beheld me with terrible eyes.
11They have opened their mouths against me, and, reproaching me, they have struck me on the cheek; they are nourished by my sufferings.
12God has confined me with the immoral, and he has delivered me into the hands of the impious.
13I, who once was wealthy, am now crushed. He has grabbed me by my neck; he has broken me and has placed me before him as a sign.
14He has surrounded me with his lances. He has severely wounded my lower back, he has not been lenient, and he has poured out my organs upon the earth.
15He has cut me with wound after wound. He has rushed upon me like a giant.
16I have sewn sackcloth over my skin, and I have covered my body with ashes.
17My face is swollen from weeping, and my eyelids have dimmed my vision.
18These things I have endured without iniquity in my hand, while I held pure prayers before God.
19O earth, do not conceal my blood, nor let my outcry find a hiding place in you.
20For behold, my witness is in heaven, and my confidante is on high.
21My friends are full of words; my eye rains tears upon God.
22And I wish that a man might be so judged before God, just as the son of man is judged with his assistant!
23For behold, a few years pass by, and I am walking a path by which I will not return.
1Then Job answered and said,
2I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
3Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
4I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.
5But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.
6Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?
7But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.
8And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.
9He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.
10They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.
11God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.
12I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
13His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
14He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.
15I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.
16My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.
18O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.
19Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.
20My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.
21O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
22When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.