1 T hen Job answered and said,

Then Job responded,

2 H ow long will ye vex my soul, And break me in pieces with words?

“How long will you torment me And crush me with words?

3 T hese ten times have ye reproached me: Ye are not ashamed that ye deal hardly with me.

“These ten times you have insulted me; You are not ashamed to wrong me.

4 A nd be it indeed that I have erred, Mine error remaineth with myself.

“Even if I have truly erred, My error lodges with me.

5 I f indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, And plead against me my reproach;

“If indeed you vaunt yourselves against me And prove my disgrace to me,

6 K now now that God hath subverted me in my cause, And hath compassed me with his net.

Know then that God has wronged me And has closed His net around me. Everything Is against Him

7 B ehold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry for help, but there is no justice.

“Behold, I cry, ‘Violence!’ but I get no answer; I shout for help, but there is no justice.

8 H e hath walled up my way that I cannot pass, And hath set darkness in my paths.

“He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, And He has put darkness on my paths.

9 H e hath stripped me of my glory, And taken the crown from my head.

“He has stripped my honor from me And removed the crown from my head.

10 H e hath broken me down on every side, and I am gone; And my hope hath he plucked up like a tree.

“He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone; And He has uprooted my hope like a tree.

11 H e hath also kindled his wrath against me, And he counteth me unto him as one of his adversaries.

“He has also kindled His anger against me And considered me as His enemy.

12 H is troops come on together, And cast up their way against me, And encamp round about my tent.

“His troops come together, And build up their way against me And camp around my tent.

13 H e hath put my brethren far from me, And mine acquaintance are wholly estranged from me.

“He has removed my brothers far from me, And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.

14 M y kinsfolk have failed, And my familiar friends have forgotten me.

“My relatives have failed, And my intimate friends have forgotten me.

15 T hey that dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger; I am an alien in their sight.

“Those who live in my house and my maids consider me a stranger. I am a foreigner in their sight.

16 I call unto my servant, and he giveth me no answer, Though I entreat him with my mouth.

“I call to my servant, but he does not answer; I have to implore him with my mouth.

17 M y breath is strange to my wife, And my supplication to the children of mine own mother.

“My breath is offensive to my wife, And I am loathsome to my own brothers.

18 E ven young children despise me; If I arise, they speak against me.

“Even young children despise me; I rise up and they speak against me.

19 A ll my familiar friends abhor me, And they whom I loved are turned against me.

“All my associates abhor me, And those I love have turned against me.

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

“My bone clings to my skin and my flesh, And I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.

21 H ave pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; For the hand of God hath touched me.

“Pity me, pity me, O you my friends, For the hand of God has struck me.

22 W hy do ye persecute me as God, And are not satisfied with my flesh?

“Why do you persecute me as God does, And are not satisfied with my flesh? Job Says, “My Redeemer Lives”

23 O h that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

“Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

24 T hat with an iron pen and lead They were graven in the rock for ever!

“That with an iron stylus and lead They were engraved in the rock forever!

25 B ut as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth, And at last he will stand up upon the earth:

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.

26 A nd after my skin, even this body, is destroyed, Then without my flesh shall I see God;

“Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God;

27 W hom I, even I, shall see, on my side, And mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger. My heart is consumed within me.

Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!

28 I f ye say, How we will persecute him! And that the root of the matter is found in me;

“If you say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’ And ‘ What pretext for a case against him can we find?’

29 B e ye afraid of the sword: For wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, That ye may know there is a judgment.

“ Then be afraid of the sword for yourselves, For wrath brings the punishment of the sword, So that you may know there is judgment.”