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