1  Then Job answered and said

1  But Job answered and said,

2  I have heard many such things; sorry comforters are ye all.

2  I have often heard such things; you are all aggravating comforters.

3  Shall windy words have an end? Or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?

3  Will there be no end to windy words? Or is it at all a burden to you, if you speak?

3  Do not grieve my spirit with words; even though you speak, I will not answer.

4  I also could speak as ye do; if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could join words together against you, and shake my head at you.

4  I also will speak as ye do: if indeed your soul were in my soul’s stead,

5  then would I insult you with words, and I would shake my head at you.

4  I, too, can speak like you; and I also wish that your soul favored my soul.

5  I would also comfort you with speeches and would wag my head over you.

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

5  And would there were strength in my mouth, and I would not spare the movement of my lips.

5  I would prove you with your own words, and the words of my lips would not spare you.

6  Though I speak, my pain is not assuaged; and though I forbear, what am I eased?

6  For if I should speak, I shall not feel the pain of my wound: and if I should be silent, how shall I be wounded the less?

6  But what can I do? When I am speaking, my grief will not be quiet; and if I am quiet, it will not withdraw from me.

7  But now He hath made me weary; Thou hast made desolate all my company.

7  But now my grief has crushed me, and all my limbs have been reduced to nothing.

8  And Thou hast shrivelled me up, which is a witness against me; and my leanness riseth up against me, it testifieth to my face.

8  My falsehood has become a testimony, and has risen up against me: it has confronted me to my face.

8  My wrinkles bear witness against me, and a liar rises up against my face, contradicting me.

9  He hath torn me in His wrath, and hated me; He hath gnashed upon me with His teeth; mine adversary sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

9  In his anger he has cast me down; he has gnashed his teeth upon me: the weapons of his robbers have fallen upon me.

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

10  He has attacked me with the keen glances of his eyes; with his sharp spear he has smitten me down upon my knees; and they have run upon me with one accord.

10  They have opened their mouths against me, and, reproaching me, they have struck me on the cheek; they are nourished by my sufferings.

11  God delivereth me to the ungodly, and casteth me into the hands of the wicked.

11  For the Lord has delivered me into the hands of unrighteous men, and thrown me upon the ungodly.

11  God has confined me with the immoral, and he has delivered me into the hands of the impious.

12  I was at ease, and He broke me asunder; yea, He hath taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces; He hath also set me up for His mark.

12  When I was at peace he distracted me: he took me by the hair of the head, and plucked it out: he set me up as a mark.

12  I, who once was wealthy, am now crushed. He has grabbed me by my neck; he has broken me and has place me before him as a sign.

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

13  They surrounded me with spears, aiming at my reins: without sparing me they poured out my gall upon the ground.

13  He has surrounded me with his lances. He has severely wounded my lower back, he has not been lenient, and he has poured out my organs upon the earth.

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

14  They overthrew me with fall upon fall: they ran upon me in their might.

14  He has cut me with wound after wound. He has rushed upon me like a giant.

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

15  They sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and my strength has been spent on the ground.

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

16  My belly has been parched with wailing, and darkness is on my eyelids.

16  My face is swollen from weeping, and my eyelids have dimmed my vision.

17  Although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.

17  These things I have endured without iniquity in my hand, while I held pure prayers before God.

17  But not for any iniquity in my hands; my prayer also is pure.

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

18  Earth, cover not over the blood of my flesh, and let my cry have no place.

18  O earth, do not conceal my blood, nor let my outcry find a hiding place in you.

19  Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven, and He that testifieth of me is on high.

19  And now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high.

20  Mine inward thoughts are my intercessors, mine eye poureth out tears unto God;

20  Let my supplication come to the Lord, and let mine eye weep before him.

20  My friends are full of words; my eye rains tears upon God.

21  That He would set aright a man contending with God, as a son of man setteth aright his neighbour!

21  Oh that a man might plead before the Lord, even as the son of man with his neighbor!

21  And I wish that a man might be so judged before God, just as the son of man is judged with his assistant!

22  For the years that are few are coming on, and I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

22  For behold, a few years pass by, and I am walking a path by which I will not return.