Job 16

1And Job answered and said,

1And Job answereth and saith: --

2I have heard many such things: grievous comforters are ye all.

2I have heard many such things, Miserable comforters <FI>are<Fi> ye all.

3Shall words of wind have an end? or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?

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

4I 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;

4I 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.

5[But] I would encourage you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips should assuage [your pain].

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

6If I speak, my pain is not assuaged; and if I forbear, what am I eased?

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

7But now he hath made me weary; ...thou hast made desolate all my family;

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

8Thou hast shrivelled me up! it is become a witness; and my leanness riseth up against me, it beareth witness to my face.

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

9His anger teareth and pursueth me; he gnasheth with his teeth against me; [as] mine adversary he sharpeneth his eyes at me.

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

10They gape upon me with their mouth; they smite my cheeks reproachfully; they range themselves together against me.

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

11God hath delivered me over to the iniquitous man, and hurled me into the hands of the wicked.

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

12I 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.

12At 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.

13His arrows encompass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.

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

14He breaketh me with breach upon breach; he runneth upon me like a mighty man.

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

15I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and rolled my horn in the dust.

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

16My face is red with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

16My face is foul with weeping, And on mine eyelids <FI>is<Fi> death-shade.

17Although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.

17Not for violence in my hands, And my prayer <FI>is<Fi> pure.

18O earth, cover not my blood, and let there be no place for my cry!

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

19Even now, behold, my Witness is in the heavens, and he that voucheth for me is in the heights.

19Also, now, lo, in the heavens <FI>is<Fi> my witness, And my testifier in the high places.

20My friends are my mockers; mine eye poureth out tears untoGod.

20My interpreter <FI>is<Fi> my friend, Unto God hath mine eye dropped:

21Oh that there were arbitration for a man withGod, as a son of man for his friend!

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

22For years [few] in number shall pass, — and I shall go the way [whence] I shall not return.

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