 1 Job said, 2 I have heard many such things. You are all miserable comforters. 3 Will words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you should answer? 4 I also could speak as you do. If your soul were in my soul's place. I could heap up words against you, and shake my head at you. 5 I might make you strong with my mouth and the moving of my lips would spare you. 6 Though I speak, my pain is not held back and though I forbear, in what way am I eased? 7 Now He has made me weary. You have made all my company desolate. 8 You have filled me with wrinkles as a witness against me. My leanness rises up against me and bears witness to my face. 9 His anger has torn and hated me. He gnashes on me with His teeth. My enemy sharpens his eyes at me. 10 They have gaped at me with their mouth and scornfully beaten me on the cheek. They gather against me. 11 God has delivered me to the perverse and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. 12 I was at ease, but He has broken me into pieces. He has taken me by my neck and shaken me to pieces and set me up for His mark. 13 His archers hem me in. He splits my inward parts and does not spare. He pours out my gall on the ground. 14 He breaks me with break on break. He runs on me like a giant. 15 I have sewed sackcloth on my skin and thrust my horn in the dust. 16 My face is reddened from weeping and on my eyelids is the shadow of death. 17 No violence is in my hand and my prayer is pure. 18 Oh earth, do not cover my blood and do not let my cry have a place. 19 Now, behold my witness is in Heaven. The one who testifies of me is on high. 20 My friends scorn me. My eye pours out tears to God. 21 Oh that one might plead for a man with God as a man pleads for his neighbor. 22 For the years that are few will come and I will go the way from which I will not return.
|