1 T hen Job answered,

Then Job answered and said:

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

“I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all!

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

Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you 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 you do, If your soul were in my soul’s place. 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 comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.

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

“Though I speak, my grief is not relieved; And if I remain silent, how am I eased?

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

But now He has worn me out; You have 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.

You have shriveled me up, And it is a witness against me; My leanness rises up against me And 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.

He tears me in His wrath, and hates me; He gnashes at me with His teeth; My adversary sharpens His gaze on 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 gape at me with their mouth, They strike me reproachfully on the cheek, They gather together against me.

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

God has delivered me to the ungodly, And turned me over to the hands of the wicked.

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 at ease, but He has shattered me; He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces; He has set me up for His target,

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

His archers surround me. He pierces my heart and does not pity; He pours out my gall on the ground.

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

He breaks me with wound upon wound; He runs at me like a warrior.

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

“I have sewn sackcloth over my skin, And laid my head in the dust.

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

My face is flushed from 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.

Although no violence is in my hands, And my prayer is 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 my cry have no resting place!

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

Surely even now my witness is in heaven, And my evidence is on high.

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

My friends scorn me; My eyes pour out tears to God.

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

Oh, that one might plead for a man with God, As a man pleads for his neighbor!

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

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