1 T hen Job answered,

Then Job responded,

2 “ How long will you torment me, and crush me with words?

“How long will you torment me And crush me with words?

3 Y ou have reproached me ten times. You aren’t ashamed that you attack me.

“These ten times you have insulted me; You are not ashamed to wrong me.

4 I f it is true that I have erred, my error remains with myself.

“Even if I have truly erred, My error lodges with me.

5 I f indeed you will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach;

“If indeed you vaunt yourselves against me And prove my disgrace to me,

6 k now now that God has subverted me, and has surrounded me with his net.

Know then that God has wronged me And has closed His net around me. Everything Is against Him

7 “ Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard. I cry for help, but there is no justice.

“Behold, I cry, ‘Violence!’ but I get no answer; I shout for help, but there is no justice.

8 H e has walled up my way so that I can’t pass, and has set darkness in my paths.

“He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, And He has put darkness on my paths.

9 H e has stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.

“He has stripped my honor from me And removed the crown from my head.

10 H e has broken me down on every side, and I am gone. My hope he has plucked up like a tree.

“He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone; And He has uprooted my hope like a tree.

11 H e has also kindled his wrath against me. He counts me among his adversaries.

“He has also kindled His anger against me And considered me as His enemy.

12 H is troops come on together, build a siege ramp against me, and encamp around my tent.

“His troops come together, And build up their way against me And camp around my tent.

13 “ He has put my brothers far from me. My acquaintances are wholly estranged from me.

“He has removed my brothers far from me, And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.

14 M y relatives have gone away. My familiar friends have forgotten me.

“My relatives have failed, And my intimate friends have forgotten me.

15 T hose who dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger. I am an alien in their sight.

“Those who live in my house and my maids consider me a stranger. I am a foreigner in their sight.

16 I call to my servant, and he gives me no answer. I beg him with my mouth.

“I call to my servant, but he does not answer; I have to implore him with my mouth.

17 M y breath is offensive to my wife. I am loathsome to the children of my own mother.

“My breath is offensive to my wife, And I am loathsome to my own brothers.

18 E ven young children despise me. If I arise, they speak against me.

“Even young children despise me; I rise up and they speak against me.

19 A ll my familiar friends abhor me. They whom I loved have turned against me.

“All my associates abhor me, And those I love have turned against me.

20 M y bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

“My bone clings to my skin and my flesh, And I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.

21 “ Have pity on me, have pity on me, you my friends; for the hand of God has touched me.

“Pity me, pity me, O you my friends, For the hand of God has struck me.

22 W hy do you persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

“Why do you persecute me as God does, And are not satisfied with my flesh? Job Says, “My Redeemer Lives”

23 “ Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

“Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

24 T hat with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!

“That with an iron stylus and lead They were engraved in the rock forever!

25 B ut as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives. In the end, he will stand upon the earth.

“As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth.

26 A fter my skin is destroyed, then in my flesh shall I see God,

“Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God;

27 W hom I, even I, shall see on my side. My eyes shall see, and not as a stranger. “My heart is consumed within me.

Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!

28 I f you say, ‘How we will persecute him!’ because the root of the matter is found in me,

“If you say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’ And ‘ What pretext for a case against him can we find?’

29 b e afraid of the sword, for wrath brings the punishments of the sword, that you may know there is a judgment.”

“ Then be afraid of the sword for yourselves, For wrath brings the punishment of the sword, So that you may know there is judgment.”