19 Then Job answered and said,

How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.

And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.

If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:

Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.

Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.

He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.

He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.

10 He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.

11 He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.

12 His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.

13 He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.

14 My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

15 They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.

16 I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.

17 My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's sake of mine own body.

18 Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.

19 All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.

20 My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

22 Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!

25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

28 But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

29 Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.

Job Replies: My Redeemer Lives

19 Then Job answered and said:

“How long will you torment me
    and break me in pieces with words?
These (A)ten times you have cast reproach upon me;
    are you not ashamed to wrong me?
And even if it be true that I have erred,
    my error remains with myself.
If indeed you (B)magnify yourselves against me
    and make my disgrace an argument against me,
know then that God has (C)put me in the wrong
    and closed his net about me.
Behold, I (D)cry out, ‘Violence!’ but I am not answered;
    I call for help, but there is no justice.
He has (E)walled up my way, so that I cannot pass,
    and he has set darkness upon my paths.
He has (F)stripped from me my glory
    and taken the (G)crown from my head.
10 He breaks me down on every side, and I (H)am gone,
    and my hope has he pulled up like a tree.
11 He has kindled his wrath against me
    and (I)counts me as his adversary.
12 His (J)troops come on together;
    they have (K)cast up their siege ramp[a] against me
    and encamp around my tent.

13 “He has put my (L)brothers far from me,
    and (M)those who knew me are wholly estranged from me.
14 My relatives (N)have failed me,
    my close (O)friends have forgotten me.
15 The guests (P)in my house and my maidservants count me as a stranger;
    I have become a foreigner in their eyes.
16 I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer;
    I must plead with him with my mouth for mercy.
17 My breath is strange to my (Q)wife,
    and I am a stench to the children of (R)my own mother.
18 Even young (S)children despise me;
    when I rise they talk against me.
19 All my (T)intimate friends abhor me,
    and those whom I loved have turned against me.
20 My (U)bones stick to my skin and to my flesh,
    and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.
21 Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O you my friends,
    for the hand of God has (V)touched me!
22 Why do you, like God, (W)pursue me?
    Why are you not satisfied with my flesh?

23 “Oh that my words were written!
    Oh that they were (X)inscribed in a book!
24 Oh that with an iron (Y)pen and lead
    they were engraved in the rock forever!
25 For I (Z)know that my (AA)Redeemer lives,
    and at the last he will stand upon the (AB)earth.[b]
26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
    yet in[c] my flesh I shall (AC)see God,
27 whom I shall see for myself,
    and my eyes shall behold, and not (AD)another.
    My heart (AE)faints within me!
28 If you say, ‘How we will (AF)pursue him!’
    and, ‘The root of the matter is found in him,’[d]
29 be afraid of the sword,
    for wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
    that you may know there is (AG)a judgment.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 19:12 Hebrew their way
  2. Job 19:25 Hebrew dust
  3. Job 19:26 Or without
  4. Job 19:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts in me

Job argumenta su fe

19 Entonces Job respondió:

«¿Hasta cuándo me[a] angustiarán
Y me aplastarán con palabras?
-»Estas diez veces me han insultado,
¿No les da vergüenza perjudicarme?
-»Aunque en verdad yo haya errado,
Mi error queda conmigo.
-»Si en verdad se jactan contra mí,
Y comprueban mi oprobio(A),
Sepan ahora que Dios me ha agraviado(B)
Y me ha envuelto en Su red(C).
¶»Yo grito: “¡Violencia!”, pero no obtengo respuesta;
Clamo pidiendo ayuda, pero no hay justicia(D).
-ȃl ha amurallado mi camino(E) y no puedo pasar,
Y ha puesto tinieblas en mis sendas(F).
-»Me ha despojado de mi honor(G)
Y quitado la corona de mi cabeza(H).
10 -»Me destruye(I) por todos lados, y perezco,
Y como a un árbol(J) ha arrancado mi esperanza(K).
11 -»También ha encendido Su ira contra mí(L)
Y me ha considerado Su enemigo(M).
12 -»Se concentran a una Sus ejércitos(N),
Preparan su camino[b] de asalto contra mí(O),
Y alrededor de mi tienda acampan.
13 ¶»Él ha alejado de mí a mis hermanos(P),
Y mis conocidos se han apartado completamente de mí(Q).
14 -»Mis parientes me fallaron
Y mis íntimos amigos me han olvidado(R).
15 -»Los moradores de mi casa y mis criadas me tienen por extraño,
Extranjero soy a sus ojos.
16 -»Llamo a mi siervo, y no responde,
Con mi propia boca tengo que rogarle.
17 -»Mi aliento es odioso[c] a mi mujer,
Y soy repugnante a mis propios hermanos.
18 -»Hasta los niños me desprecian,
Me levanto, y hablan contra mí.
19 -»Todos mis compañeros[d] me aborrecen,
Y los que amo se han vuelto contra mí(S).
20 -»Mis huesos se pegan a mi piel y a mi carne(T),
Solo he escapado con la piel de mis dientes.
21 -»Tengan piedad, tengan piedad de mí, ustedes mis amigos,
Porque la mano de Dios me ha herido[e](U).
22 -»¿Por qué me persiguen como Dios lo hace(V),
Y no dejan ya de saciarse de mi carne?
23 ¶»¡Oh, si mis palabras se escribieran,
Si se grabaran en un libro(W)!
24 -»¡Si con cincel de hierro y con plomo
Fueran esculpidas en piedra para siempre!
25 -»Yo sé que mi Redentor[f](X) vive,
Y al final[g] se levantará[h] sobre el polvo.
26 -»Y después de deshecha[i] mi piel,
Aun en[j] mi carne veré a Dios(Y);
27 Al cual yo mismo[k] contemplaré,
Y a quien mis ojos verán y no los de otro.
¡Desfallece mi corazón[l](Z) dentro de mí!
28 -»Si dicen: “¿Cómo lo perseguiremos(AA)?”.
Y: “¿Qué pretexto hallaremos contra él[m]?”.
29 -»Teman la espada ustedes mismos(AB),
Porque el furor trae el castigo de la espada
Para que sepan que hay juicio(AC)».

Footnotes

  1. 19:2 Lit. mi alma.
  2. 19:12 I.e. terraplén.
  3. 19:17 Lit. extraño.
  4. 19:19 Lit. los hombres de mi consejo.
  5. 19:21 Lit. tocado.
  6. 19:25 O Defensor.
  7. 19:25 O como el último.
  8. 19:25 O tomará Su lugar.
  9. 19:26 Lit. que ellos han cortado.
  10. 19:26 Lit. desde.
  11. 19:27 O a mi lado.
  12. 19:27 Lit. Desfallecen mis riñones.
  13. 19:28 O la raíz del asunto se halla en él.