Job 6
New American Standard Bible
Job’s Friends Are No Help
6 Then Job responded,
2 “(A)Oh if only my grief were actually weighed
And laid in the balances together with my disaster!
3 For then it would be (B)heavier than the sand of the seas;
For that reason my words have been rash.
4 For the (C)arrows of the Almighty are within me,
[a]My spirit drinks their (D)poison;
The (E)terrors of God line up against me.
5 Does the (F)wild donkey bray over his grass,
Or does the ox low over his feed?
6 Can something tasteless be eaten without salt,
Or is there any taste in the [b]juice of an alkanet plant?
7 My soul (G)refuses to touch them;
They are like loathsome food to me.
8 “Oh, that my request might come to pass,
And that God would grant my hope!
9 Oh, that God would (H)decide to crush me,
That He would let loose His hand and cut me off!
10 But it is still my comfort,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain,
That I (I)have not [c]denied the words of the Holy One.
11 What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is my end, that I should [d](J)endure?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones,
Or is my flesh bronze?
13 Is it that my (K)help is not within me,
And that a (L)good outcome is driven away from me?
14 “For the (M)despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not (N)abandon the [e]fear of the Almighty.
15 My brothers have acted (O)deceitfully like a [f]wadi,
Like the torrents of [g]wadis which drain away,
16 Which are darkened because of ice,
And into which the snow [h]melts.
17 When (P)they dry up, they vanish;
When it is hot, they disappear from their place.
18 The [i]paths of their course wind along,
They go up into wasteland and perish.
19 The caravans of (Q)Tema looked,
The travelers of (R)Sheba hoped for them.
20 They (S)were put to shame, for they had trusted,
They came there and were humiliated.
21 Indeed, you have now become such,
(T)You see terrors and are afraid.
22 Have I said, ‘Give me something,’
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,’
23 Or, ‘Save me from the hand of the enemy,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?
24 “Teach me, and (U)I will be silent;
And show me how I have done wrong.
25 How painful are honest words!
But what does your argument prove?
26 Do you intend to rebuke my words,
When the (V)words of one in despair belong to the wind?
27 You would even (W)cast lots for (X)the orphans,
And (Y)barter over your friend.
28 Now please look at me,
And see if I am (Z)lying to your face.
29 Please turn away, let there be no injustice;
Turn away, (AA)my righteousness is still in it.
30 Is there injustice on my tongue?
Does (AB)my palate not discern disasters?
Footnotes
- Job 6:4 Lit Whose poison my spirit drinks
- Job 6:6 Heb hallamuth, meaning uncertain
- Job 6:10 Lit hidden
- Job 6:11 Lit prolong my soul
- Job 6:14 Or reverence for
- Job 6:15 I.e., dry stream bed(s), except in the rainy season
- Job 6:15 I.e., dry stream bed(s), except in the rainy season
- Job 6:16 Lit hides itself
- Job 6:18 Or caravans turn from their course, they go up into the waste and perish
Job 6
Common English Bible
Job defends his anger
6 Job responded:
2 Oh, that my grief were actually weighed,
all of it were lifted up in scales;
3 for now it’s heavier than the sands of the sea;
therefore, my words are rash.[a]
4 The Almighty’s arrows are in me;
my spirit drinks their poison,
and God’s terrors are arrayed against me.
5 Does a donkey bray over grass
or an ox bellow over its fodder?
6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt,
or does egg white[b] have taste?
7 I refuse to touch them;
they resemble food for the sick.
He wishes to die
8 Oh, that what I’ve requested would come
and God grant my hope;
9 that God be willing to crush me,
release his hand and cut me off.
10 I’d still take comfort,
relieved[c] even though in persistent pain;
for I’ve not denied the words of the holy one.
11 What is my strength, that I should hope;
my end, that my life should drag on?
12 Is my strength that of rocks,
my flesh bronze?
13 I don’t have a helper for myself;
success has been taken from me.
He accuses his friends
14 Are friends loyal to the one who despairs,[d]
or do they stop fearing the Almighty?
15 My companions are treacherous like a stream in the desert,
like channels that overrun their streambeds,
16 like those darkened by thawing ice,
in which snow is obscured
17 but that stop flowing in dry times
and vanish from their channels in heat.
18 Caravans turn aside from their paths;
they go up into untamed areas and perish.
19 Caravans from Tema look;
merchants from Sheba hope for it.
20 They are ashamed that they trusted;
they arrive and are dismayed.
21 That’s what you are like;[e]
you see something awful and are afraid.
He appeals to his friends
22 Have I said, “Give me something?
Offer a bribe from your wealth for me?
23 Rescue me from the hand of my enemy?
Ransom me from the grip of the ruthless?”
24 Instruct me and I’ll be quiet;
inform me how I’ve erred.
25 How painful are truthful words,
but what do your condemnations accomplish?
26 Do you intend to correct my words,
to treat the words of a hopeless man as wind?
27 Would you even gamble over an orphan,
barter away your friend?
28 Now look at me—
would I lie to your face?
29 Turn! Don’t be faithless.
Turn now! I am righteous.
30 Is there wrong on my tongue,
or can my mouth not recognize disaster?
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible