Job 19

¹But Job answered by saying:

²How long will you afflict my soul and wear me down with words?

³So, ten times you confound me and are not ashamed to oppress me.

⁴Now, of course, if I have been ignorant, my ignorance will be with me.

⁵But you have risen up against me, and you accuse me to my disgrace.

⁶At least now you should understand that God has not afflicted me with a balanced judgment, though he has encompassed me with his scourges.

⁷Behold, I will cry out, enduring violence, and no one will hear. I will announce loudly, but there is no one who may judge.

⁸He has hemmed in my path, and I cannot pass; he has added darkness to my difficult path.

⁹He has plundered me of my glory, and he has stolen the crown from my head.

¹⁰He has destroyed me on every side, and I am lost, and, like an uprooted tree, he has taken away my hope.

¹¹His fury has raged against me, and in this way he has treated me like his enemy.

¹²His troops have gathered together, and they have made their way to me, and they have besieged my tabernacle all around.

¹³He has put my brothers far from me, and my friends have withdrawn from me like strangers.

¹⁴My kinsmen have forsaken me, and those who knew me, have forgotten me.

¹⁵The inhabitants of my house and my maidservants treat me just as if I were a stranger, and I have been like a sojourner in their eyes.

¹⁶I called my servant, and he did not respond; I pleaded with him with my own mouth.

¹⁷My wife has shuddered at my breath, and I have begged the sons of my loins.

¹⁸Even the foolish have looked down on me, and, when I withdrew from them, they spoke ill of me.

¹⁹Those who were sometimes my counselors, treat me like an abomination; and he whom I valued the most has turned against me.

²⁰Since my flesh has been consumed, my bone adheres to my skin, and only my lips have been left around my teeth.

²¹Have mercy on me, have compassion on me, at least you my friends, because the hand of the Lord has touched me.

²²Why do you pursue me just as God does, and satiate yourselves with my flesh?

²³Who will grant to me that my words may be written down? Who will grant to me that they may be inscribed in a book,

²⁴with an iron pen and a plate of lead, or else be carved in stone?

²⁵For I know that my Redeemer lives, and on the last day I will rise out of the earth.

²⁶And I will be enveloped again with my skin, and in my flesh I will see my God.

²⁷It is he whom I myself will see, and he whom my eyes will behold, and no other. This, my hope, has taken rest in my bosom.

²⁸Why then do you now say: “Let us pursue him, and let us find a basis to speak against him?”

²⁹So then, flee from the face of the sword, for the sword is the avenger of iniquities; but know this: there is to be a judgment.

Job 19

¹Then Job answered and said,

²How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

³These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.

⁴And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.

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

⁶Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.

⁷Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.

⁸He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.

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

¹⁰He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.

¹¹He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.

¹²His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.

¹³He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.

¹⁴My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

¹⁵They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.

¹⁶I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.

¹⁷My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children’s sake of mine own body.

¹⁸Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.

¹⁹All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.

²⁰My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

²¹Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

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

²³Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

²⁴That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!

²⁵For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

²⁶And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

²⁷Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

²⁸But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

²⁹Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.