English Standard Version

New King James Version

Job Replies: Miserable Comforters Are You

Then Job answered and said:

1

Job Reproaches His Pitiless Friends

Then Job answered and said:

2

“I have heard many such things;
miserable comforters are you all.

2

“I have heard many such things;
Miserable[a] comforters are you all!

3

Shall windy words have an end?
Or what provokes you that you answer?

3

Shall [b]words of wind have an end?
Or what provokes you that you answer?

4

I also could speak as you do,
if you were in my place;
I could join words together against you
and shake my head at you.

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 could strengthen you with my mouth,
and the solace of my lips would assuage your pain.

5

But I would strengthen you with my mouth,
And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.

6

“If I speak, my pain is not assuaged,
and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me?

6

“Though I speak, my grief is not relieved;
And if I remain silent, how am I eased?

7

Surely now God has worn me out;
he hasa made desolate all my company.

7

But now He has worn me out;
You have made desolate all my company.

8

And he has shriveled me up,
which is a witness against me,
and my leanness has risen up against me;
it testifies to my face.

8

You have shriveled me up,
And it is a witness against me;
My leanness rises up against me
And bears witness to my face.

9

He has torn me in his wrath and hated me;
he has gnashed his teeth at me;
my adversary sharpens his eyes against me.

9

He tears me in His wrath, and hates me;
He gnashes at me with His teeth;
My adversary sharpens His gaze on me.

10

Men have gaped at me with their mouth;
they have struck me insolently on the cheek;
they mass themselves together against me.

10

They gape at me with their mouth,
They strike me reproachfully on the cheek,
They gather together against me.

11

God gives me up to the ungodly
and casts me into the hands of the wicked.

11

God has delivered me to the ungodly,
And turned me over to the hands of the wicked.

12

I was at ease, and he broke me apart;
he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces;
he set me up as his target;

12

I was at ease, but He has shattered me;
He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces;
He has set me up for His target,

13

his archers surround me.
He slashes open my kidneys and does not spare;
he pours out my gall on the ground.

13

His archers surround me.
He pierces my [c]heart and does not pity;
He pours out my gall on the ground.

14

He breaks me with breach upon breach;
he runs upon me like a warrior.

14

He breaks me with wound upon wound;
He runs at me like a [d]warrior.

15

I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin
and have laid my strength in the dust.

15

“I have sewn sackcloth over my skin,
And laid my [e]head in the dust.

16

My face is red with weeping,
and on my eyelids is deep darkness,

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My face is [f]flushed from weeping,
And on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

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

17

Although no violence is in my hands,
And my prayer is pure.

18

“O earth, cover not my blood,
and let my cry find no resting place.

18

“O earth, do not cover my blood,
And let my cry have no resting place!

19

Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven,
and he who testifies for me is on high.

19

Surely even now my witness is in heaven,
And my evidence is on high.

20

My friends scorn me;
my eye pours out tears to God,

20

My friends scorn me;
My eyes pour out tears to God.

21

that he would argue the case of a man with God,
asb a son of man does with his neighbor.

21

Oh, that one might plead for a man with God,
As a man pleads for his [g]neighbor!

22

For when a few years have come
I shall go the way from which I shall not return.

22

For when a few years are finished,
I shall go the way of no return.

Parallel

English Standard Version

New King James Version

Job 16

Job 16