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Job Continues His Response to Bildad

10 “My inner self[a] loathes my life;
I want to give vent to my complaint;[b]
I want to speak out of the bitterness of my inner self.[c]
I will say to God, ‘You should not condemn me;
let me know why you contend against me.
Is it good for you that you oppress,
that you despise the labor of your hands,
and you smile over the schemes of the wicked?
Do you have eyes of flesh?[d]
Or do you see as human beings see?[e]
Are your days as the days of human beings,
or your years as the days of man,
that you seek out my iniquity,
and you search for my sin
because of your knowledge that I am not guilty,
and there is no escaping from your hand?
Your hands fashioned me and made me[f] altogether,[g]
then[h] you destroyed me.
Please[i] remember that you made me like clay,
but[j] you turn me into dust again?
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
and curdle me[k] like cheese?
11 You clothed me with skin and flesh,
and you knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 You have granted me life and loyal love,
and your care has preserved my spirit.
13 “‘Yet[l] you hid these things in your heart;
I know that this was your purpose.[m]
14 If I had sinned, then[n] you would be watching me,
and you would not acquit me of my guilt.
15 If I am guilty, woe to me!
But[o] if I am righteous, I dare not lift my head;
I am filled with shame, and just look at my misery!
16 And if my head grows bold, you would hunt me as the lion in its prime;
and you repeat your exploits against me.[p]
17 You renew your witnesses against me,
and you increase your vexation against me;
relief forces[q] are against me.
18 So[r] why did you bring me forth from the womb?
I should have passed away, and no eye should have seen me.[s]
19 I should have been as though I had not been;
I should have been brought from the womb to the grave.
20 Are not my days few? Let him leave me alone;
let him turn from me, and let me rejoice a little.
21 Before I go—and I will not return—
to the land of darkness and deep shadow,
22 to the land of darkness,
like the darkness of a deep shadow and chaos,[t]
so that[u] it shines forth like darkness.’”

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:1 Or “soul”
  2. Job 10:1 Literally “I want to let go upon me my complaint”
  3. Job 10:1 Or “soul”
  4. Job 10:4 Literally “Are eyes of flesh for you”
  5. Job 10:4 Literally “as seeing of human beings you see”
  6. Job 10:8 Hebrew “they made me”
  7. Job 10:8 Literally “together all around”
  8. Job 10:8 Or “and”
  9. Job 10:9 Or an untranslatable particle expressing urgency
  10. Job 10:9 Hebrew “and”
  11. Job 10:10 Literally “you did curdle me”
  12. Job 10:13 Hebrew “And”
  13. Job 10:13 Literally “was with you”
  14. Job 10:14 Hebrew “and”
  15. Job 10:15 Hebrew “And”
  16. Job 10:16 Literally “and you do again you display marvelous powers against me”
  17. Job 10:17 Literally “substitute and forces
  18. Job 10:18 Hebrew “And”
  19. Job 10:18 Literally “and an eye should not have seen me”
  20. Job 10:22 Literally “and not order”
  21. Job 10:22 Or “and”

10 My soul is weary of my life;
I will give free course to my complaint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
I will say unto God, Do not condemn me;
Show me wherefore thou contendest with me.
Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress,
That thou shouldest despise the [a]work of thy hands,
And shine upon the counsel of the wicked?
Hast thou eyes of flesh?
Or seest thou as man seeth?
Are thy days as the days of man,
Or thy years as man’s days,
That thou inquirest after mine iniquity,
And searchest after my sin,
Although thou knowest that I am not wicked,
And there is none that can deliver out of thy hand?

Thy hands have framed me and fashioned me
Together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.
Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast fashioned me as clay;
And wilt thou bring me into dust again?
10 Hast thou not poured me out as milk,
And curdled me like cheese?
11 Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 Thou hast granted me life and lovingkindness;
And thy [b]visitation hath preserved my spirit.
13 Yet these things thou didst hide in thy heart;
I know that this is with thee:
14 If I sin, then thou markest me,
And thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
15 If I be wicked, woe unto me;
And if I be righteous, yet shall I not lift up my head;
[c]Being filled with ignominy,
And looking upon mine affliction.
16 And if my head exalt itself, thou huntest me as a lion;
And again thou showest thyself marvellous upon me.
17 Thou renewest thy witnesses against me,
And increasest thine indignation upon me:
[d]Changes and warfare are with me.

18 Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb?
I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me.
19 I should have been as though I had not been;
I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
20 Are not my days few? [e]cease then,
And let me alone, that I may [f]take comfort a little,
21 Before I go whence I shall not return,
Even to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;
22 The land dark as [g]midnight,
The land of the shadow of death, without any order,
And where the light is as [h]midnight.

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:3 Hebrew labor.
  2. Job 10:12 Or, care
  3. Job 10:15 Or, I am filled with ignominy, but look thou . . . for it increaseth: thou etc.
  4. Job 10:17 Or, Host after host is against me.
  5. Job 10:20 Another reading is, let him cease, and leave me alone.
  6. Job 10:20 Hebrew brighten up.
  7. Job 10:22 Hebrew thick darkness.
  8. Job 10:22 Hebrew thick darkness.