1 T hen Job answered and said,

Then Job answered and said:

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

“How long will you torment my soul, And break me in pieces 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 reproached me; You are not ashamed that you have wronged me.

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

And if indeed I have erred, My error remains with me.

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

If indeed you exalt yourselves against me, And plead my disgrace against 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 surrounded me with His net.

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

“If I cry out concerning wrong, I am not heard. If I cry aloud, 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 fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass; And He has set darkness in my paths.

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

He has stripped me of my glory, And taken 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; My hope He has uprooted 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 wrath against me, And He counts me as one of His enemies.

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 road against me; They encamp all 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 close 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 dwell in my house, and my maidservants, Count me as a stranger; I am an alien in their sight.

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

I call my servant, but he gives no answer; I beg 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 repulsive to the children of my own body.

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

Even young children despise me; I arise, and they speak against me.

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

All my close friends abhor me, And those whom 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 to my flesh, And I have escaped 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.

“Have pity on me, have pity on 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?

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 they were engraved on a rock With an iron pen and lead, forever!

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

For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;

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

And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in 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 shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns 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 should say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’— Since the root of the matter is found in me,

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

Be afraid of the sword for yourselves; For wrath brings the punishment of the sword, That you may know there is a judgment.”