Job 16, side by side

¹Then Job answered:

¹Then Job answered and said,

²“I have heard many things like these; miserable comforters are you all.

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

³Is there no end to your long-winded speeches? What provokes you to continue testifying?

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

⁴I could also speak like you if you were in my place; I could heap up words against you and shake my head at you.

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 encourage you with my mouth, and the consolation of my lips would bring relief.

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

⁶Even if I speak, my pain is not relieved, and if I hold back, how will it go away?

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

⁷Surely He has now exhausted me; You have devastated all my family.

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

⁸You have bound me, and it has become a witness; my frailty rises up and testifies against me.

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.

⁹His anger has torn me and opposed me; He gnashes His teeth at me. My adversary pierces me with His eyes.

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

¹⁰They open their mouths against me and strike my cheeks with contempt; they join together against 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 has delivered me to unjust men; He has thrown me to the clutches of the wicked.

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

¹²I was at ease, but He shattered me; He seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has set me up as His target;

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 surround me. He pierces my kidneys without mercy and spills my gall on the ground.

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

¹⁴He breaks me with wound upon wound; He rushes me like a mighty warrior.

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

¹⁵I have sewn sackcloth over my skin; I have buried my horn in the dust.

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

¹⁶My face is red with weeping, and deep shadows ring my eyes;

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

¹⁷yet my hands are free of violence and my prayer is pure.

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

¹⁸O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry for help never be laid to rest.

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

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

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

²⁰My friends are my scoffers as my eyes pour out tears to God.

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

²¹Oh, that a man might plead with God as he pleads with his neighbor!

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

²²For when only a few years are past I will go the way of no return.

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