< Job 19 >

1 Then responded Job, and said: —
Then Job answered and said,
2 How long will ye grieve my soul? or crush me with words?
How long will ye vex my soul and break me in pieces with words?
3 These ten times, have ye reviled me, Shameless ye wrong me.
These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye deal hardly with me.
4 And even if indeed I have erred, with myself lodgeth mine error.
And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.
5 If indeed, against me, ye must needs magnify yourselves, and plead, against me, my reproach.
If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:
6 Know, then, that, God, hath overthrown me, and, within his net, enclosed me.
Know now that God hath subverted me [in my cause], and hath compassed me with his net.
7 Lo! I cry—out: Violence! but receive no answer, I cry aloud, but there is no vindication;
Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry for help, but there is no judgment.
8 My way, hath he walled up, that I cannot pass, and, upon my paths, hath he made darkness rest;
He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and hath set darkness in my paths.
9 My glory—from off me, hath he stripped, and hath removed the crown of my head;
He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.
10 He hath ruined me on every side, and I am gone, and he hath taken away—like a tree—my hope;
He hath broken me down on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he plucked up like a tree.
11 Yea he hath kindled against me his anger, and accounted me towards him like unto his adversaries;
He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as [one of] his adversaries.
12 Together, enter his troops and have cast up, against me, their mound, and have encamped all around my tent;
His troops come on together, and cast up their way against me, and encamp round about my tent.
13 My Brethren—from beside me, hath he moved far away, and, mine acquaintance, are wholly estranged from me;
He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are wholly estranged from me.
14 Failed me, have my near of kin, and, mine intimate acquaintances, have forgotten me;
My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.
15 Ye guests of my house and my maidens, A stranger, have ye accounted me, An alien, have I become in their eyes;
They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.
16 To mine own servant, I called, and he would not answer, With mine own mouth, I kept entreating him;
I call unto my servant, and he giveth me no answer, [though] I entreat him with my mouth.
17 My breath, is strange to my wife, and I am loathsome to the sons of my own mother;
My breath is strange to my wife, and my supplication to the children of my [mother’s] womb.
18 Even young children, despise me, I rise up, and they speak against me;
Even young children despise me; if I arise, they speak against me.
19 All the men of mine intimate circle abhor me, and, these whom I loved, have turned against me;
All my inward friends abhor me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.
20 Unto my skin and unto my flesh, have my bones cleaved, and I have escaped with the akin of my teeth.
My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.
21 Pity me! pity me! ye, my friends, for, the hand of GOD, hath stricken me!
Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.
22 Wherefore should ye persecute me as GOD? and, with my flesh, should not he satisfied?
Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?
23 Oh, then, that my words, could be written, Oh that, in a record, they could be inscribed:
Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were inscribed in a book!
24 That, with a stylus of iron and [with] lead, for all time—in the rock, they could be graven!
That with an iron pen and lead they were graven in the rock for ever!
25 But, I, know that, my redeemer, liveth, and, as the Last over [my] dust, will he arise;
But I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand up at the last upon the earth:
26 And, though, after my skin is struck off, this [followeth], yet, apart from my flesh, shall I see GOD:
And after my skin hath been thus destroyed, yet from my flesh shall I see God:
27 Whom, I myself, shall see, on my side, and, mine own eyes, [shall] have looked upon, and not those of a stranger. Exhausted are my deepest desires in my bosom!
Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another. My reins are consumed within me.
28 Surely ye should say—Why should we persecute him? seeing, the root of the matter, is found in me.
If ye say, How we will persecute him! seeing that the root of the matter is found in me;
29 Be ye afraid—on your part—of the face of the sword, because, wrath, [bringeth] the punishments of the sword, to the end ye may know the Almighty.
Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath [bringeth] the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.

< Job 19 >