1 A nd Job answereth and saith: --

Then Job answered,

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

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

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

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

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 like you, if I were in your place. I could put words together 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 could give you strength with my mouth. I could speak words of comfort and make your pain less.

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

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

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

But now God has taken away my strength. He has taken away 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.

He 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.

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

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

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

God gives me over to bad men. He throws me into the hands of the sinful.

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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

My face is red from crying, and darkness is over my eyes.

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

But my hands have done nothing bad, 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, do not cover my blood. Let my cry have no place to rest.

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

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

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

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

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

If only a man could give reasons to God, as a man does for his neighbor!

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

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