Job 16
1 Job replied,
Then responded Job, and said: —
2 “I've heard all this before. You are comforters who just cause trouble!
I have heard many such things, Wearisome comforters, are ye all!
3 Will your windy speeches never cease? What's bothering you that you have to answer me?
Is there to be an end to windy words? Or what so strongly exciteth thee, that thou must respond?
4 I could talk like you do if you were in my place, stringing words together to criticize you, ridiculing you with a toss of my head.
I also, like you, could speak, —If your soul were in the place of my soul, I could string together words against you, and could therewith shake over you my head.
5 I could build you up by my mouth speaking words; the movement of my lips would ease your pain.
I could make you determined, by my mouth, and then my lip-solace should restrain you.
6 For me, if I speak it doesn't ease my pain, and if I don't speak the pain is still there.
Though I do speak, unassuaged is my stinging pain, —And, if I forbear, of what am I relieved?
7 God, you have worn me out. You have destroyed my whole family.
But, now, hath he wearied me, thou hast destroyed all my family;
8 You have made me shrivel up, which is a witness against me; my thin body testifies against me.
And, having captured me, it hath served, as a witness; and so my wasting away hath risen up against me, in my face, it answereth.
9 He has torn me apart in his anger; in his hostility he has gnashed his teeth at me; my enemy pierces me with his fierce look.
His anger, hath torn and persecuted me, He hath gnashed upon me with his teeth, Mine adversary, hath sharpened his eyes for me.
10 People stare at me with their mouths wide open, they slap me on my cheeks to mock me, they crowd around me to attack me.
They have gaped upon me with their mouth, With reproach, have they smitten my cheek, Together, against me, have they closed their ranks.
11 God has handed me over to evil people; he has thrown me into their hands.
GOD doth abandon me to him that is perverse, and, into the hands of the lawless, he throweth me headlong.
12 I was living in peace and he smashed me to pieces. He grabbed me by the neck and dashed me to pieces. He set me up as his target.
At ease, was I when he shattered me, Yea he seized me by my neck, and dashed me in pieces, then set me up for himself as a mark:
13 His archers surround me. His arrows pierce my kidneys without mercy. He pours out my gall on the ground.
His archers came round against me, He clave asunder my reins, and spared not, He poured out, on the earth, my gall:
14 Like a wall he breaks me down, breach upon breach, rushing at me like a warrior.
He made a breach in me, breach upon breach, He ran upon me, like a mighty man.
15 I have sown sackcloth to cover my skin; my strength lies broken in the dust.
Sackcloth, sewed I on my skin, and rolled—in the dust—my horn:
16 My face is red from crying and dark shadows surround my eyes,
My face, is reddened from weeping, and, upon mine eyelashes, is the death-shade: —
17 although I have done nothing wrong and my prayer is pure.
Though no violence was in my hands, and, my prayer, was pure.
18 Earth, do not cover up my blood. May my cry find no place to hide.
O earth! do not cover my blood, and let there be no place for mine outcry.
19 Look, right now my witness is in heaven; the one who speaks for me is on high.
Even now, lo! in the heavens, is my witness,
20 My friends scorn me, but my eyes pour out tears to God.
And, he that voucheth for me is on high. My friends are, they who scorn me, Unto GOD, hath mine eye shed tears: —
21 I want my witness to speak for me with God as someone does for their friend.
That one might plead, for a man, with GOD, —Even a son of man, for his friend!
22 For in a few short years I shall go down that road from which I shall not return.
When, a few years, come, then, by a path by which I shall not return, shall I depart.
