THE BOOK OF
JOB
Job 16 ©
Job upbraids his friends that they are unkind and unsuitable comforters, v. 1, etc. He bewails again his wretched condition, 6. Although he was innocent of what his friends charged him, 17. Which he wishes he might answer before God himself, 21. Notwithstanding that his life was very short here, 22.
THEN Job answered and said,
I have 1heard many 2such things: 3miserable comforters are yea all.
Shall 4vain words have an end? or 5what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
6I also could speak as ye do: 7if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head 8at you.
But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should 9asswagebyour grief.
Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged:c and though I forbear, 10what am I eased?
But now 11he hath made me 12weary: thou hast made desolate 13all my company.
And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which 14is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me 15beareth witness 16to my face.
Hed17teareth me in 18his wrath, who 19hateth me: 20he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemye21sharpeneth his eyes upon me.
22They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the 23cheek reproachfully; they have 24gathered themselves together against me.
God hath 25delivered me to the 26ungodly, and 27turned me over into the hands of the wicked.
I was at ease, but he hath 28broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by 29my neck, and shaken me to pieces, andf set me up 30for his mark.
His 31archers compass me round about, he cleaveth 32my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
He breaketh me 33with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me 34like a giant.
I have sewed 35sackcloth upon my skin, andg defiled 36my horn in 37the dust.
My face is 38foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is 39the shadow of death;
40Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.
41O earth, 42cover not thou 43my blood, and let 44my cry have no place.
Also now, behold, 45my witness is in heaven, and my record is on 46high.
My friends scorn me: but mine eye 47poureth out tears unto God.
O that one might pleadh for a man with God, 48as 49a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
When a 50few years are come, then 51I shall go the way whence I shall not return.