Job 16
Legacy Standard Bible
Troublesome Comforters
16 Then Job answered and said,
2 “I have heard many such things;
[a](A)Troublesome comforters are you all.
3 Is there no end to (B)windy words?
Or what pains you that you answer?
4 I too could speak like you,
If your soul were in the place of my soul.
I could compose words against you
And (C)shake my head at you.
5 I could encourage you with my mouth,
And the solace of my lips could lessen your pain.
6 “If I speak, (D)my pain is not lessened,
And if I cease, what will go forth from me?
7 But now He has (E)exhausted me;
You have made (F)desolate all my company.
8 You have shriveled me up,
(G)It has become a witness;
And my (H)leanness rises up against me,
It answers to my face.
9 His anger has (I)torn me and [b]hunted me down;
He has (J)gnashed at me with His teeth;
My (K)adversary sharpens his eyes to look at me.
10 They have (L)opened their mouth wide at me;
They have (M)struck me on the cheek in reproach;
They have (N)massed themselves against me.
11 God hands me over to ruffians
And tosses me into the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, but (O)He shattered me,
And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces;
He has also set me up as His (P)target.
13 His (Q)arrows surround me.
Without mercy He splits my kidneys open;
He pours out (R)my gall on the ground.
14 He (S)breaks through me with breach after breach;
He (T)runs at me like a warrior.
15 I have sewed (U)sackcloth over my skin
And (V)thrust my horn in the dust.
16 My face is flushed from (W)weeping,
(X)And the shadow of death is on my eyelids,
17 Why?—because there is no (Y)violence in my hands,
And (Z)my prayer is pure.
18 “O earth, do not cover my blood,
And let there be no resting place for my cry.
19 Even now, behold, (AA)my witness is in heaven,
And my [c]advocate is (AB)on high.
20 My friends are my scoffers;
(AC)My eye [d]weeps to God.
21 O that a man might argue with God
As a man with his neighbor!
22 For when a few years are past,
I shall go the way (AD)of no return.
Job 16
Common English Bible
Job’s response
16 Then Job answered:
2 I’ve heard many things like these.
All of you are sorry comforters.
3 Will windy talk ever cease;
what bothers you that you must argue?
4 In your situation I could speak like you;
I could put words together to oppose you,
shake my head over you.
5 I could heap up words, strengthen you with my speech;
my trembling lips would be held in check.
6 If I speak, my pain is not eased;
if I hold back, what have I lost?
The innocent are God’s targets
7 Now God has surely worn me out.
You have destroyed my entire group,
8 seized me, which became grounds for an accusation.[a]
My leanness rises to bear witness against me.
9 His anger tears me and afflicts me;
he slashes at me with his teeth.
My enemy pierces me with his eyes.
10 They open their mouths at me
and strike my cheek in a taunt;
they gang up on me.
11 God delivers me to a criminal
and forces me into the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at rest, but he shattered me,
seized me by the back of my neck,
dashed me into pieces;
he raised me up for his target.
13 His archers surround me;
he cuts my kidneys open without pity and doesn’t care,
pours my gall on the ground,
14 bursts me open over and over,
runs against me like a strong man.
15 I’ve sewed rough cloth over my skin
and buried my dignity in the dust.
16 My face is red from crying,
and dark gloom hangs on my eyelids.
17 But there is no violence in my hands,
and my prayer is pure.
Lingering hope
18 Earth, don’t cover my blood;
let my outcry never cease.
19 Surely now my witness stands in heaven;
my advocate is on high;
20 my go-between, my friend.[b]
While my eyes drip tears to God,
21 let him plead with God for a human being,
like a person pleads for a friend.
22 A number of years will surely pass,
and then I’ll walk a path that I won’t return.
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