Job 19

1 Then Job answered,

Then Job answered and said,

2 “How long will you torment me, and crush me with words?

How long will all of you vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

3 You have reproached me ten times. You aren’t ashamed that you attack me.

These ten times have all of you reproached me: all of you are not ashamed that all of you make yourselves strange to me.

4 If it is true that I have erred, my error remains with myself.

And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remains with myself.

5 If indeed you will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach,

If indeed all of you will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:

6 know now that God has subverted me, and has surrounded me with his net.

Know now that God has overthrown me, and has compassed me with his net.

7 “Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard. I cry for help, but there is no justice.

Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.

8 He has walled up my way so that I can’t pass, and has set darkness in my paths.

He has fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he has set darkness in my paths.

9 He has stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.

He has stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.

10 He has broken me down on every side, and I am gone. He has plucked my hope up like a tree.

He has destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope has he removed like a tree.

11 He has also kindled his wrath against me. He counts me among his adversaries.

He has also kindled his wrath against me, and he counts me unto him as one of his enemies.

12 His troops come on together, build a siege ramp against me, and encamp around my tent.

His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and camp round about my tabernacle.

13 “He has put my brothers far from me. My acquaintances are wholly estranged from me.

He has put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily cut off from me.

14 My relatives have gone away. My familiar friends have forgotten me.

My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

15 Those who dwell in my house and my maids consider me a stranger. I am an alien in their sight.

They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an foreigner in their sight.

16 I call to my servant, and he gives me no answer. I beg him with my mouth.

I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I implored him with my mouth.

17 My breath is offensive to my wife. I am loathsome to the children of my own mother.

My breath is strange to my wife, though I implored for the children's sake of mine own body.

18 Even young children despise me. If I arise, they speak against me.

Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spoke against me.

19 All my familiar friends abhor me. They whom I loved have turned against me.

All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.

20 My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

My bone cleaves to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

21 “Have pity on me. Have pity on me, you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me.

Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O all of you my friends; for the hand of God has touched me.

22 Why do you persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

Why do all of you persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

23 “Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

24 That with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!

That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!

25 But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives. In the end, he will stand upon the earth.

For I know that my redeemer lives, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

26 After my skin is destroyed, then I will see God in my flesh,

And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

27 whom I, even I, will see on my side. My eyes will see, and not as a stranger. “My heart is consumed within me.

Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

28 If you say, ‘How we will persecute him!’ because the root of the matter is found in me,

But all of you should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

29 be afraid of the sword, for wrath brings the punishments of the sword, that you may know there is a judgment.”

Be all of you afraid of the sword: for wrath brings the punishments of the sword, that all of you may know there is a judgment.