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Job 16
Lexham English Bible

Job’s Fifth Speech

16 Then[a] Job answered and said,

2 “I have heard many things like these;
all of you are miserable comforters.[b]
3 Is there a limit to windy words?
What provokes you that you answer?
4 I myself[c] also could talk as you,
if you were in my place;[d]
I could join against you with words,
and I could shake at you with my head.
5 I could[e] encourage you with my mouth,
and the solace of my lips would[f] ease the pain.
6 If I speak, my pain is not relieved;
and if I cease, how much will leave me?
7 “Surely now he has worn me out;
you[g] have devastated all my company.
8 Thus[h] you shriveled me up;[i]
it became a witness.
And my leanness has risen up against me;
it testifies to my face.
9 His wrath has torn, and he has been hostile toward me;
he gnashed at me with his teeth.
My foe sharpens his eyes against me.
10 They gaped at me with their mouth;
they struck my cheeks with disgrace;
they have massed themselves together against me.
11 God delivers me to an evil one,
and he casts me into the hands of the wicked.
12 “I was at ease, then[j] he broke me in two,
and he seized me by my neck;
then[k] he shattered me
and set me up as a target for him.
13 His archers surround me;
he slashes open my kidneys, and he does not have compassion;
he pours out my gall on the ground.
14 He breached me breach upon breach;[l]
he rushes at me like a warrior.
15 “I have sewed sackcloth on my skin,
and I have inserted my pride[m] in the dust.
16 My face is red because of weeping,
and deep shadows are on my eyelids,
17 although[n] violence is not on my hands,
and my prayer is pure.
18 “O earth, you should not cover my blood,
and let there be no place[o] for my cry for help.
19 So now look, my witness is in the heavens,
and he who vouches for me is in the heights.
20 My friends scorn me;
my eye pours out tears to God,
21 and it argues[p] for a mortal with God,
and as a human[q] for his friend.
22 Indeed, after a few years[r] have come,
then[s] I will go the way from which I will not return.

Footnotes

  1. Job 16:1 Hebrew “And”
  2. Job 16:2 Literally “comforters of trouble”
  3. Job 16:4 Emphatic personal pronoun;
  4. Job 16:4 Literally “there is your soul in place of my soul”
  5. Job 16:5 Or “would”
  6. Job 16:5 Or “should”
  7. Job 16:7 Singular
  8. Job 16:8 Hebrew “And”
  9. Job 16:8 Or “you have seized me”
  10. Job 16:12 Hebrew “and”
  11. Job 16:12 Hebrew “and”
  12. Job 16:14 Literally “breach upon the faces of breach”
  13. Job 16:15 Literally “my horn”
  14. Job 16:17 Literally “upon,” or “because”
  15. Job 16:18 Or “do not let it become a place”
  16. Job 16:21 Or “but may someone argue”
  17. Job 16:21 Literally “a son of man”
  18. Job 16:22 Literally “years of number”
  19. Job 16:22 Hebrew “and”
Listen to Job 16
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Job 16
New International Version

Job

16 Then Job replied:

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)

Footnotes

  1. Job 16:20 Or My friends treat me with scorn
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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.

Footnotes

  1. Job 16:8 Heb uncertain
  2. Job 16:20 Go-between and friend are plural in Heb.
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