1 T hen Job answered,

¶ Then Job answered and said,

2 “ I have heard many such things; Sorry comforters are you all.

Many times I have heard such things; miserable comforters are ye all.

3 “ Is there no limit to windy words? Or what plagues you that you answer?

Shall vain words have an end? Or what is it that emboldens thee to answer?

4 “ I too could speak like you, If I were in your place. I could compose words against you And shake my head at you.

I also could speak as ye do. I wish your soul were in my soul’s stead, that I could heap up words against you and shake my head at you.

5 “ I could strengthen you with my mouth, And the solace of my lips could lessen your pain. Job Says God Shattered Him

But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the consolation of my lips would assuage the pain.

6 “ If I speak, my pain is not lessened, And if I hold back, what has left me?

¶ Though if I speak, my pain does not cease; and if I forbear to speak, it does not depart from me.

7 “ But now He has exhausted me; You have laid waste all my company.

But now he has made me weary; thou hast made desolate all my company.

8 “ You have shriveled me up, It has become a witness; And my leanness rises up against me, It testifies to my face.

And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me bears witness to my face.

9 “ His anger has torn me and hunted me down, He has gnashed at me with His teeth; My adversary glares at me.

His wrath has torn me and has been against me; he gnashed upon me with his teeth; my enemy sharpened his eyes upon me.

10 “ They have gaped at me with their mouth, They have slapped me on the cheek with contempt; They have massed themselves against me.

They have opened their mouth against me; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.

11 “ God hands me over to ruffians And tosses me into the hands of the wicked.

God has delivered me unto the liar, and in the hands of the wicked he has caused me to tremble.

12 “ I was at ease, but He shattered me, And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces; He has also set me up as His target.

I was prosperous, but he has broken me asunder; he has taken me by my neck and shaken me to pieces and set me up for his mark.

13 “ His arrows surround me. Without mercy He splits my kidneys open; He pours out my gall on the ground.

His archers compassed me round about; he cleaved my kidneys asunder and did not spare; he poured out my gall upon the ground.

14 “ He breaks through me with breach after breach; He runs at me like a warrior.

He broke me with breach upon breach; he ran upon me like a giant.

15 “ I have sewed sackcloth over my skin And thrust my horn in the dust.

I have sewn sackcloth upon my skin and put dust over my head.

16 “ My face is flushed from weeping, And deep darkness is on my eyelids,

My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death,

17 A lthough there is no violence in my hands, And my prayer is pure.

¶ even though there is no injustice in my hands, and my prayer has been pure.

18 “ O earth, do not cover my blood, And let there be no resting place for my cry.

O earth, do not cover my blood; and let there be no place where my cry is hidden.

19 “ Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, And my advocate is on high.

Certainly my witness is even now in the heavens, and my record is on high.

20 “ My friends are my scoffers; My eye weeps to God.

Those who dispute with me are my friends, but my eyes shall pour out tears unto God.

21 “ O that a man might plead with God As a man with his neighbor!

O that a man might dispute with God, as he can with his neighbour!

22 “ For when a few years are past, I shall go the way of no return.

When the counted years are come, then I shall go the way from which I shall not return.