Job 19

1Then Job answered and said,

1And Job made answer and said,

2How long will ye vex my soul, And break me in pieces with words?

2How long will you make my life bitter, crushing me with words?

3These ten times have ye reproached me: Ye are not ashamed that ye deal hardly with me.

3Ten times now you have made sport of me; it gives you no sense of shame to do me wrong.

4And be it indeed that I have erred, Mine error remaineth with myself.

4And, truly, if I have been in error, the effect of my error is only on myself.

5If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, And plead against me my reproach;

5If you make yourselves great against me, using my punishment as an argument against me,

6Know now that God hath subverted me in my cause, And hath compassed me with his net.

6Be certain that it is God who has done me wrong, and has taken me in his net.

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

7Truly, I make an outcry against the violent man, but there is no answer: I give a cry for help, but no one takes up my cause.

8He hath walled up my way that I cannot pass, And hath set darkness in my paths.

8My way is walled up by him so that I may not go by: he has made my roads dark.

9He hath stripped me of my glory, And taken the crown from my head.

9He has put off my glory from me, and taken the crown from my head.

10He hath broken me down on every side, and I am gone; And my hope hath he plucked up like a tree.

10I am broken down by him on every side, and I am gone; my hope is uprooted like a tree.

11He hath also kindled his wrath against me, And he counteth me unto him as one of his adversaries.

11His wrath is burning against me, and I am to him as one of his haters.

12His troops come on together, And cast up their way against me, And encamp round about my tent.

12His armies come on together, they make their road high against me, and put up their tents round mine.

13He hath put my brethren far from me, And mine acquaintance are wholly estranged from me.

13He has taken my brothers far away from me; they have seen my fate and have become strange to me.

14My kinsfolk have failed, And my familiar friends have forgotten me.

14My relations and my near friends have given me up, and those living in my house have put me out of their minds.

15They that dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.

15I am strange to my women-servants, and seem to them as one from another country.

16I call unto my servant, and he giveth me no answer, ThoughI entreat him with my mouth.

16At my cry my servant gives me no answer, and I have to make a prayer to him.

17My breath is strange to my wife, And my supplication to the children of mine own mother.

17My breath is strange to my wife, and I am disgusting to the offspring of my mother's body.

18Even young children despise me; If I arise, they speak against me.

18Even young children have no respect for me; when I get up their backs are turned on me.

19All my familiar friends abhor me, And they whom I loved are turned against me.

19All the men of my circle keep away from me; and those dear to me are turned against me.

20My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, And I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

20My bones are joined to my skin, and I have got away with my flesh in my teeth.

21Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; For the hand of God hath touched me.

21Have pity on me, have pity on me, O my friends! for the hand of God is on me.

22Why do ye persecute me as God, And are not satisfied with my flesh?

22Why are you cruel to me, like God, for ever saying evil against me?

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

23If only my words might be recorded! if they might be put in writing in a book!

24That with an iron pen and lead They were graven in the rock for ever!

24And with an iron pen and lead be cut into the rock for ever!

25But as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth, And at last he will stand up upon the earth:

25But I am certain that he who will take up my cause is living, and that in time to come he will take his place on the dust;

26And after my skin, eventhisbody, is destroyed, Then without my flesh shall I see God;

26And ... without my flesh I will see God;

27Whom I, even I, shall see, on my side, And mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger. My heart is consumed within me.

27Whom I will see on my side, and not as one strange to me. My heart is broken with desire.

28If ye say, How we will persecute him! And that the root of the matter is found in me;

28If you say, How cruel we will be to him! because the root of sin is clearly in him:

29Be ye afraid of the sword: For wrathbringeththe punishments of the sword, That ye may know there is a judgment.

29Be in fear of the sword, for the sword is the punishment for such things, so that you may be certain that there is a judge.