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 make yourselves strange to 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 overthrown me, 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 aloud, but there is no judgment.

“Behold, I cry, ‘Violence!’ but I get no answer; I shout 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 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 destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed 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 enemies.

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

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

“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 verily 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 mine 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 called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated 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, though I intreated for the children's sake of mine own body.

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

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

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

19 A ll my inward friends abhorred 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 printed in a book!

“Oh that my words 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 stylus and lead They were engraved 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:

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

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

“Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh 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 myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints 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 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.”