1 T hen Job answered,

Then Job answered,

2 “ I have heard many such things. All of you bring trouble instead of comfort.

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

3 I s there no end to your words that are full of wind? What is your problem that you keep on talking?

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

4 I also could speak like you, if I were in your place. I could put words together against you, and shake my head at you.

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

5 I could give you strength with my mouth. I could speak words of comfort and make your pain less.

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

6 “ If I speak, my pain is not made less. And if I keep quiet, it does not leave me.

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

7 B ut now God has taken away my strength. He has taken away all my family.

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

8 H e has made me dry up, and this speaks against me. The wasting away of my body rises up against me. It speaks against me to my face.

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

9 H is anger has torn me and hated me. He has ground His teeth at me. The one against me looks hard at me.

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

10 M en have looked at me with their mouths open. They have hit me on the face with anger. They have gathered together against me.

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

11 G od gives me over to bad men. He throws me into the hands of the sinful.

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

12 I was living in comfort, but He has taken that away. He has taken hold of me by the neck and shaken me to pieces. He has set me up for something to shoot at.

“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.

13 H is arrows are all around me. He cuts my kidneys open without pity. He pours the bitter insides on the ground.

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

14 H e hurts me again and again. He runs at me like a man of war.

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

15 I have sewed cloth made from hair over my skin, and have laid my hope in the dust.

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

16 M y face is red from crying, and darkness is over my eyes.

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

17 B ut my hands have done nothing bad, and my prayer is pure.

Although there is no violence in my hands, And my prayer is pure.

18 “ O earth, do not cover my blood. Let my cry have no place to rest.

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

19 S ee, even now there is One Who sees me from heaven. The One Who speaks for me is on high.

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

20 M y friends make fun of me. My eyes pour out tears to God.

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

21 I f only a man could give reasons to God, as a man does for his neighbor!

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

22 I n a few years I will go the way that I cannot return.

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