1 T hen Job answered and said,

Then Job answered:

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

How long will you vex and torment me and break me in pieces with words?

3 T hese ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.

These ten times you have reproached me; you are not ashamed that you make yourselves strange.

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

And if it were true that I have erred, my error would remain with me.

5 I f indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:

If indeed you magnify yourselves against me and plead against me my reproach and humiliation,

6 K now now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.

Know that God has overthrown and put me in the wrong and has closed His net about me.

7 B ehold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.

Behold, I cry out, Violence! but I am not heard; I cry aloud for help, but there is no justice.

8 H e hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.

He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, and He has set darkness upon 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 destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.

He has broken me down on every side, and I am gone; my hope has He pulled up like a tree.

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

He has also kindled His wrath against me, and He counts me as one of His adversaries.

12 H is troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.

His troops come together and cast up their way and siege works against me and encamp round about my tent.

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

He has put my brethren far from me, and my acquaintances are wholly estranged from me.

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

My kinsfolk have failed me, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

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

Those who live temporarily in my house and my maids count me as a stranger; I am an alien in their sight.

16 I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.

I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer, though I beseech him with words.

17 M y breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's sake of mine own body.

I am repulsive to my wife and loathsome to the children of my own mother.

18 Y ea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.

Even young children despise me; when I get up, they speak against me.

19 A ll my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.

All the men of my council and my familiar friends abhor me; those whom I loved are 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 with the skin or gums 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 touched me!

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

Why do you, as if you were God, pursue and persecute me? why are you not satisfied with my flesh?

23 O h that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

Oh, that the words I now speak were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!

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

That with an iron pen and lead they were graven in the rock forever!

25 F or I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

For I know that my Redeemer and Vindicator lives, and at last He will stand upon the earth.

26 A nd though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

And after my skin, even this body, has been destroyed, then from my flesh or without it I shall see God,

27 W hom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

Whom I, even I, shall see for myself and on my side! And my eyes shall behold Him, and not as a stranger! My heart pines away and is consumed within me.

28 B ut ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

If you say, How we will pursue him! that the root of all these 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.

Then beware and be afraid of the sword, for wrathful are the punishments of that sword, that you may know there is a judgment.