1 A nd Job answereth and saith: --

And Job answered and said,

2 I have heard many such things, Miserable comforters ye all.

I have heard many such things: grievous comforters are ye all.

3 I s there an end to words of wind? Or what doth embolden thee that thou answerest?

Shall words of wind have an end? or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?

4 I also, like you, might speak, If your soul were in my soul's stead. I might join against you with words, And nod at you with my head.

I also could speak as ye: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could join together words against you, and shake my head at you;

5 I might harden you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips might be sparing.

I would encourage you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips should assuage.

6 I f I speak, my pain is not restrained, And I cease -- what goeth from me?

If I speak, my pain is not assuaged; and if I forbear, what am I eased?

7 O nly, now, it hath wearied me; Thou hast desolated all my company,

But now he hath made me weary; … thou hast made desolate all my family;

8 A nd Thou dost loathe me, For a witness it hath been, And rise up against me doth my failure, In my face it testifieth.

Thou hast shrivelled me up! it is become a witness; and my leanness riseth up against me, it beareth witness to my face.

9 H is anger hath torn, and he hateth me, He hath gnashed at me with his teeth, My adversary sharpeneth his eyes for me.

His anger teareth and pursueth me; he gnasheth with his teeth against me; mine adversary he sharpeneth his eyes at me.

10 T hey have gaped on me with their mouth, In reproach they have smitten my cheeks, Together against me they set themselves.

They gape upon me with their mouth; they smite my cheeks reproachfully; they range themselves together against me.

11 G od shutteth me up unto the perverse, And to the hands of the wicked turneth me over.

God hath delivered me over to the iniquitous man, and hurled me into the hands of the wicked.

12 A t ease I have been, and he breaketh me, And he hath laid hold on my neck, And he breaketh me in pieces, And he raiseth me to him for a mark.

I was at rest, but he hath shattered me; he hath taken me by the neck and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.

13 G o round against me do his archers. He splitteth my reins, and spareth not, He poureth out to the earth my gall.

His arrows encompass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.

14 H e breaketh me -- breach upon breach, He runneth upon me as a mighty one.

He breaketh me with breach upon breach; he runneth upon me like a mighty man.

15 S ackcloth I have sewed on my skin, And have rolled in the dust my horn.

I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and rolled my horn in the dust.

16 M y face is foul with weeping, And on mine eyelids death-shade.

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

17 N ot for violence in my hands, And my prayer pure.

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

18 O earth, do not thou cover my blood! And let there not be a place for my cry.

O earth, cover not my blood, and let there be no place for my cry!

19 A lso, now, lo, in the heavens my witness, And my testifier in the high places.

Even now, behold, my Witness is in the heavens, and he that voucheth for me is in the heights.

20 M y interpreter my friend, Unto God hath mine eye dropped:

My friends are my mockers; mine eye poureth out tears unto +God.

21 A nd he reasoneth for a man with God, And a son of man for his friend.

Oh that there were arbitration for a man with +God, as a son of man for his friend!

22 W hen a few years do come, Then a path I return not do I go.

For years in number shall pass,—and I shall go the way I shall not return.