Job 19

¹Then Job answered, and said:

²How long do you afflict my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

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

⁴For if I have been ignorant, my ignorance shall be with me.

⁵But you set yourselves up against me, and reprove me with my reproaches.

⁶At least now understand, that God hath not afflicted me with an equal judgment, and compassed me with his scourges.

⁷Behold I shall cry suffering violence, and no one will hear: I shall cry aloud, and there is none to judge.

⁸He hath hedged in my path round about, and I cannot pass, and in my way he hath set darkness.

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

¹⁰He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am lost, and he hath taken away my hope, as from a tree that is plucked up.

¹¹His wrath is kindled against me, and he hath counted me as his enemy.

¹²His troops have come together, and have made themselves a way by me, and have besieged my tabernacle round about.

¹³He hath put my brethren far from me, and my acquaintance like strangers have departed from me.

¹⁴My kinsmen have forsaken me, and they that knew me, have forgotten me.

¹⁵They that dwell in my house, and my maidservants have counted me as a stranger, and I have been like an alien in their eyes.

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

¹⁷My wife hath abhorred my breath, and I entreated the children of my womb.

¹⁸Even fools despised me, and when I was gone from them, they spoke against me.

¹⁹They that were sometime my counsellors, have abhorred me: and he whom I loved most is turned against me.

²⁰The flesh being consumed, my bone hath cleaved to my skin, and nothing but lips are left about my teeth.

²¹Have pity on me, have pity on me, at least you my friends, because the hand of the Lord hath touched me.

²²Why do you persecute me as God, and glut yourselves with my flesh?

²³Who will grant me that my words may be written? who will grant me that they may be marked down in a book?

²⁴With an iron pen and in a plate of lead, or else be graven with an instrument in flint stone?

²⁵For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and in the last day I shall rise out of the earth.

²⁶And I shall be clothed again with my skin, and in my flesh I shall see my God.

²⁷Whom I myself shall see, and my eyes shall behold, and not another: this my hope is laid up in my bosom.

²⁸Why then do you say now: Let us persecute him, and let us find occasion of word against him?

²⁹Flee then from the face of the sword, for the sword is the revenger of iniquities: and know ye that there is 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.