Job 16
New American Standard Bible
Job Says Friends Are Miserable Comforters
16 Then Job responded,
2 “I have heard many things like these;
[a](A)Miserable comforters are you all!
3 Is there no end to (B)windy words?
Or what provokes you that you answer?
4 I too could speak like you,
If only [b]I were in your place.
I could compose words against you
And (C)shake my head at you.
5 Or I could strengthen you with my mouth,
And the condolence of my lips could lessen your pain.
Job Says God Shattered Him
6 “If I speak, (D)my pain is not lessened,
And if I refrain, what pain leaves me?
7 But now He has (E)exhausted me;
You have laid (F)waste all my group of loved ones.
8 And you have shriveled me up,
[c](G)It has become a witness;
And my (H)infirmity rises up against me,
It testifies to my face.
9 His anger has (I)torn me and [d]hunted me down,
He has (J)gnashed at me with His teeth;
My (K)enemy [e]glares at me.
10 They have (L)gaped at me with their mouths,
They have [f](M)slapped me on the cheek with contempt;
They have (N)massed themselves against me.
11 God hands me over to criminals,
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 my neck and shaken me to pieces;
He has also set me up as His (P)target.
13 His (Q)arrows surround me.
He splits my kidneys open without mercy;
He pours out (R)my bile 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 deep darkness is on my eyelids,
17 Although there is no (Y)violence in my hands,
And (Z)my prayer is pure.
18 “Earth, do not cover my blood,
And may there be no resting place for my cry.
19 Even now, behold, (AA)my witness is in heaven,
And my [g]advocate is (AB)on high.
20 My friends are my scoffers;
(AC)My eye weeps to God,
21 That one might plead for a man with God
As a son of man with his neighbor!
22 For when a few years are past,
I shall go the way (AD)of no return.
Job 16
English Standard Version
Job Replies: Miserable Comforters Are You
16 Then Job answered and said:
2 “I have heard (A)many such things;
(B)miserable comforters are you all.
3 Shall (C)windy words 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 (D)shake my head at you.
5 I could strengthen you with my mouth,
and the solace of my lips would assuage your pain.
6 “If I speak, my pain is not assuaged,
and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me?
7 Surely now God has worn me out;
(E)he has[a] made desolate all my company.
8 And he has shriveled me up,
which is (F)a witness against me,
and my (G)leanness has risen up against me;
it testifies to my face.
9 He has (H)torn me in his wrath (I)and hated me;
he has (J)gnashed his teeth at me;
my adversary sharpens his eyes against me.
10 Men have (K)gaped at me with their mouth;
they have (L)struck me insolently on the cheek;
they (M)mass themselves together against me.
11 God gives me up to the ungodly
and casts me into 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 (N)target;
13 his (O)archers surround me.
He slashes open my kidneys (P)and does not spare;
he (Q)pours out my gall on the ground.
14 He breaks me with (R)breach upon breach;
he (S)runs upon me like a warrior.
15 I have sewed (T)sackcloth upon my skin
and have laid (U)my strength (V)in the dust.
16 My face is red with weeping,
and on my eyelids is (W)deep darkness,
17 although there is no (X)violence in my hands,
and my prayer is pure.
18 “O earth, (Y)cover not my blood,
and let my (Z)cry find no resting place.
19 Even now, behold, my (AA)witness is in heaven,
and he who testifies for me is (AB)on high.
20 My friends (AC)scorn me;
my eye pours out tears to God,
21 that he would (AD)argue the case of a man with God,
as[b] a son of man does with his neighbor.
22 For when a few years have come
I shall go the way (AE)from which I shall not return.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
