1 T hen Job answered and said:

¶ Then Job answered and said,

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

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

3 S hall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?

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

4 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;

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 B ut I would strengthen you with my mouth, And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.

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

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

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

7 B ut now He has worn me out; You have made desolate all my company.

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

8 Y ou have shriveled me up, And it is a witness against me; My leanness rises up against me And bears witness 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 H e tears me in His wrath, and hates me; He gnashes at me with His teeth; My adversary sharpens His gaze on 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 T hey gape at me with their mouth, They strike me reproachfully on the cheek, They gather together 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 G od has delivered me to the ungodly, And turned me over to 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 has shattered me; He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces; He has set me up for 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 H is archers surround me. He pierces my heart and does not pity; 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 H e breaks me with wound upon wound; He runs at me like a warrior.

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

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

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

16 M y face is flushed from weeping, And on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

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

17 A lthough no violence is 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 my cry have no resting place!

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

19 S urely even now my witness is in heaven, And my evidence is on high.

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

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

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

21 O h, that one might plead for a man with God, As a man pleads for his neighbor!

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

22 F or when a few years are finished, 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.