² “I have heard many things like these;
    you are miserable comforters,^(A) all of you!^(B)
3 Will your long-winded speeches never end?^(C)
    What ails you that you keep on arguing?^(D)
4 I also could speak like you,
    if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
    and shake my head^(E) at you.
⁵ But my mouth would encourage you;
    comfort^(F) from my lips would bring you relief.^(G)

⁶ “Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved;
    and if I refrain, it does not go away.^(H)
7 Surely, God, you have worn me out;^(I)
    you have devastated my entire household.^(J)
8 You have shriveled me up—and it has become a witness;
    my gauntness^(K) rises up and testifies against me.^(L)
9 God assails me and tears^(M) me in his anger^(N)
    and gnashes his teeth at me;^(O)
    my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.^(P)
10 People open their mouths^(Q) to jeer at me;^(R)
    they strike my cheek^(S) in scorn
    and unite together against me.^(T)
11 God has turned me over to the ungodly
    and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.^(U)
12 All was well with me, but he shattered me;
    he seized me by the neck and crushed me.^(V)
He has made me his target;^(W)
13     his archers surround me.^(X)
Without pity, he pierces^(Y) my kidneys
    and spills my gall on the ground.
¹⁴ Again and again^(Z) he bursts upon me;
    he rushes at me like a warrior.^(AA)

¹⁵ “I have sewed sackcloth^(AB) over my skin
    and buried my brow in the dust.^(AC)
16 My face is red with weeping,^(AD)
    dark shadows ring my eyes;^(AE)
17 yet my hands have been free of violence^(AF)
    and my prayer is pure.^(AG)

¹⁸ “Earth, do not cover my blood;^(AH)
    may my cry^(AI) never be laid to rest!^(AJ)
19 Even now my witness^(AK) is in heaven;^(AL)
    my advocate is on high.^(AM)
20 My intercessor^(AN) is my friend^[a](AO)
    as my eyes pour out^(AP) tears^(AQ) to God;
²¹ on behalf of a man he pleads^(AR) with God
    as one pleads for a friend.

²² “Only a few years will pass
    before I take the path of no return.^(AS)

² “How long will you torment^(A) me
    and crush^(B) me with words?
³ Ten times^(C) now you have reproached^(D) me;
    shamelessly you attack me.
⁴ If it is true that I have gone astray,
    my error^(E) remains my concern alone.
⁵ If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me^(F)
    and use my humiliation against me,
⁶ then know that God has wronged me^(G)
    and drawn his net^(H) around me.^(I)

⁷ “Though I cry, ‘Violence!’ I get no response;^(J)
    though I call for help,^(K) there is no justice.^(L)
8 He has blocked my way so I cannot pass;^(M)
    he has shrouded my paths in darkness.^(N)
9 He has stripped^(O) me of my honor^(P)
    and removed the crown from my head.^(Q)
10 He tears me down^(R) on every side till I am gone;
    he uproots my hope^(S) like a tree.^(T)
11 His anger^(U) burns against me;
    he counts me among his enemies.^(V)
12 His troops advance in force;^(W)
    they build a siege ramp^(X) against me
    and encamp around my tent.^(Y)

¹³ “He has alienated my family^(Z) from me;
    my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.^(AA)
14 My relatives have gone away;
    my closest friends^(AB) have forgotten me.
¹⁵ My guests^(AC) and my female servants^(AD) count me a foreigner;
    they look on me as on a stranger.
¹⁶ I summon my servant, but he does not answer,
    though I beg him with my own mouth.
¹⁷ My breath is offensive to my wife;
    I am loathsome^(AE) to my own family.
¹⁸ Even the little boys^(AF) scorn me;
    when I appear, they ridicule me.^(AG)
19 All my intimate friends^(AH) detest me;^(AI)
    those I love have turned against me.^(AJ)
20 I am nothing but skin and bones;^(AK)
    I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.^[a]

²¹ “Have pity on me, my friends,^(AL) have pity,
    for the hand of God has struck^(AM) me.
²² Why do you pursue^(AN) me as God does?^(AO)
    Will you never get enough of my flesh?^(AP)

²³ “Oh, that my words were recorded,
    that they were written on a scroll,^(AQ)
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool^(AR) on^[b] lead,
    or engraved in rock forever!^(AS)
25 I know that my redeemer^[c](AT) lives,^(AU)
    and that in the end he will stand on the earth.^[d]
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
    yet^[e] in^[f] my flesh I will see God;^(AV)
27 I myself will see him
    with my own eyes^(AW)—I, and not another.
    How my heart yearns^(AX) within me!

²⁸ “If you say, ‘How we will hound^(AY) him,
    since the root of the trouble lies in him,^[g]’
²⁹ you should fear the sword yourselves;
    for wrath will bring punishment by the sword,^(AZ)
    and then you will know that there is judgment.^[h]”^(BA)