1 ¶ And Job answered and said,

And Job answered and said,

2 O h that my grief and calamity were justly weighed and laid equally in the balances!

Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances!

3 F or it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; therefore, my words are swallowed up.

For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas; therefore my words are vehement.

4 F or the arrows of the Almighty are within me; my spirit drinks of the poison; and terrors of God combat me.

For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, their poison drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of +God are arrayed against me.

5 D oes the wild ass bray when he has grass? Does the ox low over his fodder?

Doth the wild ass bray by the grass? loweth an ox over his fodder?

6 C an that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

Shall that which is insipid be eaten without salt? Is there any taste in the white of an egg?

7 T he things that my soul refused to touch before, now by my sorrow are my food.

What my soul refuseth to touch, that is as my loathsome food.

8 ¶ Oh, that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

Oh that I might have my request, and that +God would grant my desire!

9 E ven that it would please God to destroy me, that he would let loose his hand and cut me off!

And that it would please +God to crush me, that he would let loose his hand and cut me off!

10 T hen should my comfort grow; I would hold on to sorrow without mercy; for I have not contradicted the words of the Holy One.

Then should I yet have comfort; and in the pain which spareth not I would rejoice that I have not denied the words of the Holy One.

11 W hat is my strength that I should hope? What is my end that I should prolong my life?

What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should have patience?

12 I s my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh of steel?

Is my strength the strength of stones? is my flesh of brass?

13 A m I not doing all that I can, and even with all this I lack the power to do anything?

Is it not that there is no help in me, and soundness is driven away from me?

14 ¶ He that is afflicted deserves mercy from his friend; but he has forsaken the fear of the Almighty.

For him that is fainting kindness from his friend; or he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.

15 M y brethren have lied to me as a brook; they passed away as an impetuous stream,

My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a stream, as the channel of streams which pass away,

16 w hich was hidden by ice and covered by snow.

Which are turbid by reason of the ice, in which the snow hideth itself:

17 W hich in the time of heat, they vanish; when they are heated, they disappear out of their place;

At the time they diminish, they are dried up; when heat affecteth them, they vanish from their place:

18 t hey turn aside out of the paths of their way; they go to nothing and perish.

They wind about in the paths of their course, they go off into the waste and perish.

19 T he travelers of Tema looked; the traveling companies of Sheba waited for them.

The caravans of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba counted on them:

20 T hey were put to shame because of their hope; they came there and found them confused.

They are ashamed at their hope; they come thither, and are confounded.

21 N ow ye are certainly as they; ye have seen the torment and are afraid.

So now ye are nothing; ye see a terrible object and are afraid.

22 ¶ Did I say, Bring unto me and pay for me out of your substance

Did I say, Bring unto me, and make me a present from your substance?

23 a nd deliver me from the enemy’s hand and ransom me from the hand of the mighty?

Or, rescue me from the hand of the oppressor, and redeem me from the hand of the violent?

24 T each me, and I will be silent; and cause me to understand in what I have erred.

Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.

25 H ow forcible are the words of rectitude! But what does your argument reprove?

How forcible are right words! but what doth your upbraiding reprove?

26 A re ye not thinking up words of reproof and throw to the wind words that are lost?

Do ye imagine to reprove words? The speeches of one that is desperate are indeed for the wind.

27 Y e also overwhelm the fatherless and dig a pit before your friend.

Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and dig for your friend.

28 N ow, therefore, if ye desire, look upon me and see if I shall lie in your presence.

Now therefore if ye will, look upon me; and it shall be to your face if I lie.

29 T urn now, and there is no iniquity; return again to look for my righteousness in this.

Return, I pray you, let there be no wrong; yea, return again, my righteousness shall be in it.

30 I f there is iniquity in my tongue or if my taste cannot discern the torments.

Is there wrong in my tongue? cannot my taste discern mischievous things?