1 T hen Job answered,

Then Job answered and said:

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

“I have heard many such things; Miserable 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?

Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes 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 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 give you strength with my mouth. I could speak words of comfort and make your pain less.

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 made less. And if I keep quiet, it does not leave me.

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

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

But now He has worn me out; You have made desolate 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, And it is a witness against me; My leanness rises up against me And bears witness 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.

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

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

God has delivered me to the ungodly, And turned me over to 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 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 H is arrows are all around me. He cuts my kidneys open without pity. He pours the bitter insides on the ground.

His archers surround me. He pierces my heart and does not pity; 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 me with wound upon wound; 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 sewn sackcloth over my skin, And laid my head in the dust.

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

My face is flushed from weeping, And on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

17 B ut my hands have done nothing bad, 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. Let my cry have no place to rest.

“O earth, do not cover my blood, And let my cry have no resting place!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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