1 ¶ And Job answered and said,

And Job answereth and saith: --

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

O that my provocation were thoroughly weighed, And my calamity in balances They would lift up together!

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

For now, than the sands of the sea it is heavier, Therefore my words have been rash.

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

For arrows of the Mighty with me, Whose poison is drinking up my spirit. Terrors of God array themselves me!

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

Brayeth a wild ass over tender grass? Loweth an ox over his provender?

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

Eaten is an insipid thing without salt? Is there sense in the drivel of dreams?

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

My soul is refusing to touch! They as my sickening food.

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

O that my request may come, That God may grant my hope!

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

That God would please -- and bruise me, 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.

And yet it is my comfort, (And I exult in pain -- He doth not spare,) That I have not hidden The sayings 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 my power that I should hope? And what mine end That I should prolong my life?

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 brazen?

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

Is not my help with me, And substance driven from me?

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

To a despiser of his friends shame, And the fear of the Mighty he forsaketh.

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

My brethren have deceived as a brook, As a stream of brooks they pass away.

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

That are black because of ice, By them doth snow hide itself.

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

By the time they are warm they have been cut off, By its being hot they have been Extinguished from their place.

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

Turn aside do the paths of their way, They ascend into emptiness, and are lost.

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

Passengers of Tema looked expectingly, Travellers of Sheba hoped for them.

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

They were ashamed that one hath trusted, They have come unto it and are confounded.

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

Surely now ye have become the same! Ye see a downfall, and are afraid.

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

Is it because I said, Give to me? And, By your power bribe for me?

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

And, Deliver me from the hand of an adversary? And, From the hand of terrible ones ransom me?

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

Shew me, and I -- I keep silent, And what I have erred, let me understand.

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

How powerful have been upright sayings, And what doth reproof from you reprove?

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

For reproof -- do you reckon words? And for wind -- sayings of the desperate.

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

Anger on the fatherless ye cause to fall, And are strange to your friend.

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

And, now, please, look upon me, Even to your face do I lie?

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

Turn back, I pray you, let it not be perverseness, Yea, turn back again -- my righteousness in it.

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

Is there in my tongue perverseness? Discerneth not my palate desirable things?