Job 16
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
16 Then Job answered, and said:
2 I have often heard such things as these: you are all troublesome comforters.
3 Shall windy words have no end? or is it any trouble to thee to speak?
4 I also could speak like you: and would God your soul were for my soul.
5 I would comfort you also with words, and would wag my head over you.
6 I would strengthen you with my mouth, and would move my lips, as sparing you.
7 But what shall I do? If I speak, my pain will not rest: and if I hold my peace, it will not depart from me.
8 But now my sorrow hath oppressed me, and all my limbs are brought to nothing.
9 My wrinkles bear witness against me, and a false speaker riseth up against my face, contradicting me.
10 He hath gathered together his fury against me, and threatening me he hath gnashed with his teeth upon me: my enemy hath beheld me with terrible eyes.
11 They have opened their mouths upon me, and reproaching me they have struck me on the cheek, they are filled with my pains.
12 God hath shut me up with the unjust man, and hath delivered me into the hands of the wicked.
13 I that was formerly so wealthy, am all on a sudden broken to pieces: he hath taken me by my neck, he hath broken me, and hath set me up to be his mark.
14 He hath compassed me round about with his lances, he hath wounded my loins, he hath not spared, and hath poured out my bowels on the earth.
15 He hath torn me with wound upon wound, he hath rushed in upon me like a giant.
16 I have sowed sackcloth upon my skin, and have covered my flesh with ashes.
17 My face is swollen with weeping, and my eyelids are dim.
18 These things have I suffered without the iniquity of my hand, when I offered pure prayers to God.
19 O earth, cover not thou my blood, neither let my cry find a hiding place in thee.
20 For behold my witness is in heaven, and he that knoweth my conscience is on high.
21 My friends are full of words: my eye poureth out tears to God.
22 And O that a man might so be judged with God, as the son of man is judged with his companion!
23 For behold short years pass away and I am walking in a path by which I shall not return.
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.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
