1 Troublesome Comforters Then Job answered and said,
2 “I have heard many such things; 16:2Lit Comforters of trouble Troublesome comforters are you all.
3 “Is therenoend to windy words?Or what pains you that you answer?
4 “I too could speak like you,If your soul was in the place of my soul.I could compose words against youAnd shake my head at you.
5 “I could encourage you with my mouth,And the solace of my lips could lessenyour pain.
6 ¶“If I speak, my pain is not lessened,And if I cease, what will go forth from me?
7 “But now He has exhausted me;You have made desolate all my company.
8 “You have shriveled me up,It has become a witness;And my leanness rises up against me,It answers to my face.
9 “His anger has torn me and 16:9 Lit borne a grudge against me hunted me down;He has gnashed at me with His teeth;My adversary sharpens his eyesto lookat me.
10 “They have opened their mouth wide at me;They have struck me on the cheek in reproach;They have massed themselves against me.
11 “God hands me over to ruffiansAnd tosses me into the hands of the wicked.
12 “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 “His arrows surround me.Without mercy He splits my kidneys open;He pours out my gall on the ground.
14 “He breaks through me with breach after breach;He runs at me like a warrior.
15 “I have sewed sackcloth over my skinAnd thrust my horn in the dust.
16 “My face is flushed from weeping,And the shadow of death is on my eyelids,
17 Why?—because there is no violence in my hands,And my prayer is pure.
18 ¶“O earth, do not cover my blood,And let there be norestingplace for my cry.
19 “Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven,And my 16:19Or witness advocate is on high.
20 “My friends are my scoffers;My eye 16:20 Or drips weeps to God.
21 “O that a man might argue with GodAs a man with his neighbor!
22 “For when a few years are past,I shall go the way of no return.