Job 16

1 Then Job answered and said,

Job replied,

2 I have heard many such things: miserable comforters [are] ye all.

“I've heard all this before. You are comforters who just cause trouble!

3 Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?

Will your windy speeches never cease? What's bothering you that you have to answer me?

4 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.

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.

5 [But] I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage [your grief].

I could build you up by my mouth speaking words; the movement of my lips would ease your pain.

6 Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and [though] I forbear, what am I eased?

For me, if I speak it doesn't ease my pain, and if I don't speak the pain is still there.

7 But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.

God, you have worn me out. You have destroyed my whole family.

8 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.

You have made me shrivel up, which is a witness against me; my thin body testifies against me.

9 He teareth [me] in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

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.

10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.

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.

11 God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.

God has handed me over to evil people; he has thrown me into their hands.

12 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.

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.

13 His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.

His archers surround me. His arrows pierce my kidneys without mercy. He pours out my gall on the ground.

14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.

Like a wall he breaks me down, breach upon breach, rushing at me like a warrior.

15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.

I have sown sackcloth to cover my skin; my strength lies broken in the dust.

16 My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids [is] the shadow of death;

My face is red from crying and dark shadows surround my eyes,

17 Not for [any] injustice in mine hands: also my prayer [is] pure.

although I have done nothing wrong and my prayer is pure.

18 O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.

Earth, do not cover up my blood. May my cry find no place to hide.

19 Also now, behold, my witness [is] in heaven, and my record [is] on high.

Look, right now my witness is in heaven; the one who speaks for me is on high.

20 My friends scorn me: [but] mine eye poureth out [tears] unto God.

My friends scorn me, but my eyes pour out tears to God.

21 O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man [pleadeth] for his neighbour!

I want my witness to speak for me with God as someone does for their friend.

22 When a few years are come, then I shall go the way [whence] I shall not return.

For in a few short years I shall go down that road from which I shall not return.