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
- Job 16:1 Hebrew “And”
- Job 16:2 Literally “comforters of trouble”
- Job 16:4 Emphatic personal pronoun;
- Job 16:4 Literally “there is your soul in place of my soul”
- Job 16:5 Or “would”
- Job 16:5 Or “should”
- Job 16:7 Singular
- Job 16:8 Hebrew “And”
- Job 16:8 Or “you have seized me”
- Job 16:12 Hebrew “and”
- Job 16:12 Hebrew “and”
- Job 16:14 Literally “breach upon the faces of breach”
- Job 16:15 Literally “my horn”
- Job 16:17 Literally “upon,” or “because”
- Job 16:18 Or “do not let it become a place”
- Job 16:21 Or “but may someone argue”
- Job 16:21 Literally “a son of man”
- Job 16:22 Literally “years of number”
- Job 16:22 Hebrew “and”
Job 16
New King James Version
Job Reproaches His Pitiless Friends
16 Then Job answered and said:
2 “I have heard many such things;
(A)Miserable[a] comforters are you all!
3 Shall [b]words of wind have an end?
Or what provokes you that you answer?
4 I also could speak as you do,
If your soul were in my soul’s place.
I could heap up words against you,
And (B)shake my head at you;
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth,
And the comfort of my lips would relieve your grief.
6 “Though I speak, my grief is not relieved;
And if I remain silent, how am I eased?
7 But now He has (C)worn me out;
You (D)have made desolate all my company.
8 You have shriveled me up,
And it is a (E)witness against me;
My leanness rises up against me
And bears witness to my face.
9 (F)He tears me in His wrath, and hates me;
He gnashes at me with His teeth;
(G)My adversary sharpens His gaze on me.
10 They (H)gape at me with their mouth,
They (I)strike me reproachfully on the cheek,
They gather together against me.
11 God (J)has delivered me to the ungodly,
And turned me over to the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, but He has (K)shattered me;
He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces;
He has (L)set me up for His target,
13 His archers surround me.
He pierces my [c]heart and does not pity;
He pours out my gall on the ground.
14 He breaks me with wound upon wound;
He runs at me like a [d]warrior.
15 “I have sewn sackcloth over my skin,
And (M)laid my [e]head in the dust.
16 My face is [f]flushed from weeping,
And on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17 Although no violence is in my hands,
And my prayer is pure.
18 “O earth, do not cover my blood,
And (N)let my cry have no resting place!
19 Surely even now (O)my witness is in heaven,
And my evidence is on high.
20 My friends scorn me;
My eyes pour out tears to God.
21 (P)Oh, that one might plead for a man with God,
As a man pleads for his [g]neighbor!
22 For when a few years are finished,
I shall (Q)go the way of no return.
Job 16
King James Version
16 Then Job answered and said,
2 I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
3 Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
4 I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.
6 Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?
7 But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.
8 And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.
9 He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.
10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.
11 God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
13 His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.
15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.
16 My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17 Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.
18 O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.
19 Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.
20 My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.
21 O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
22 When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
