Job 16

¹But Job answered and said:

²Of such things as these I have heard enough! Miserable comforters are ye all!

³Will there ever be an end to words of wind? What stirreth thee up, that thou answerest?

⁴I also might speak like you, If ye were now in my place; I might string together words against you, And shake my head at you.

⁵I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the consolation of my lips should sustain you.

⁶If I speak, my grief is not assuaged; And if I forbear, it doth not leave me.

⁷For now He hath quite exhausted me; Thou hast desolated all my house!

⁸Thou hast seized hold of me, and this is a witness against me; My leanness riseth up and testifieth against me to my face.

⁹His anger teareth my flesh, and pursueth me; He gnasheth upon me with his teeth; My adversary sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

¹⁰They gape for me with their mouths; In scorn they smite me on the cheek; With one consent they assemble against me.

¹¹God hath given me a prey to the unrighteous, And delivered me into the hands of the wicked.

¹²I was at ease, but he hath crushed me; He hath seized me by the neck, and dashed me in pieces; He hath set me up for his mark.

¹³His archers encompass me around; He pierceth my reins, and doth not spare; He poureth out my gall upon the ground.

¹⁴He breaketh me with breach upon breach; He rusheth upon me like a warrior.

¹⁵I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, And thrust my horn into the dust.

¹⁶My face is red with weeping, And upon my eyelids is deathlike darkness.

¹⁷Yet is there no injustice in my bands. And my prayer hath been pure.

¹⁸O earth! cover not thou my blood, And let there be no hiding-place for my cry!

¹⁹Yet even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, And he who knoweth me is on high.

²⁰My friends have me in derision, But my eye poureth out tears unto God.

²¹O that one might contend for a man with God, As a man contendeth with his neighbor!

²²For when a few years shall have passed, I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

¹Then Job answered and said,

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

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

⁴I 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.

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

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

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

⁸And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

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

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

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

¹²I 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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