Job 19
Contemporary English Version
Job's Reply to Bildad
How Long Will You Torture Me?
19 Job said:
2 How long will you torture me
with your words?
3 Isn't ten times enough
for you to accuse me?
Aren't you ashamed?
4 Even if I have sinned,
you haven't been harmed.
5 You boast of your goodness,
claiming I am suffering
because I am guilty.
6 But God is the one at fault
for finding fault with me.
7 Though I pray to be rescued
from this torment,
no whisper of justice
answers me.
8 God has me trapped
with a wall of darkness
9 and stripped of respect.
10 God rips me apart,
uproots my hopes,
11 and attacks with fierce anger,
as though I were his enemy.
12 His entire army advances,
then surrounds my tent.
I Am Forgotten
* 13 God has turned relatives
and friends against me,
14 and I am forgotten.
15 My guests and my servants
consider me a stranger,
16 and when I call my servants,
they pay no attention.
17 My breath disgusts my wife;
everyone in my family
turns away.
18 Young children can't stand me,
and when I come near,
they make fun.
19 (A) My best friends and loved ones
have turned from me.
20 I am skin and bones—
just barely alive.
21 My friends, I beg you for pity!
God has made me his target.
22 Hasn't he already done enough?
Why do you join the attack?
23 I wish that my words
could be written down
24 or chiseled into rock.
25 I know that my Protector[a] lives,
and at the end
he will stand on this earth.
26 My flesh may be destroyed,
yet from this body
I will see God.[b]
27 Yes, I will see him for myself,
and I long for that moment.
28 My friends, you think up ways
to blame and torment me, saying
I brought it on myself.
29 But watch out for the judgment,
when God will punish you!
Job 19
English Standard Version
Job Replies: My Redeemer Lives
19 Then Job answered and said:
2 “How long will you torment me
and break me in pieces with words?
3 These (A)ten times you have cast reproach upon me;
are you not ashamed to wrong me?
4 And even if it be true that I have erred,
my error remains with myself.
5 If indeed you (B)magnify yourselves against me
and make my disgrace an argument against me,
6 know then that God has (C)put me in the wrong
and closed his net about me.
7 Behold, I (D)cry out, ‘Violence!’ but I am not answered;
I call for help, but there is no justice.
8 He has (E)walled up my way, so that I cannot pass,
and he has set darkness upon my paths.
9 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.”
Job 19
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Job argumenta su fe
19 Entonces Job respondió:
2 «¿Hasta cuándo me[a] angustiarán
Y me aplastarán con palabras?
3 -»Estas diez veces me han insultado,
¿No les da vergüenza perjudicarme?
4 -»Aunque en verdad yo haya errado,
Mi error queda conmigo.
5 -»Si en verdad se jactan contra mí,
Y comprueban mi oprobio(A),
6 Sepan ahora que Dios me ha agraviado(B)
Y me ha envuelto en Su red(C).
7 ¶»Yo grito: “¡Violencia!”, pero no obtengo respuesta;
Clamo pidiendo ayuda, pero no hay justicia(D).
8 -ȃl ha amurallado mi camino(E) y no puedo pasar,
Y ha puesto tinieblas en mis sendas(F).
9 -»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
- 19:2 Lit. mi alma.
- 19:12 I.e. terraplén.
- 19:17 Lit. extraño.
- 19:19 Lit. los hombres de mi consejo.
- 19:21 Lit. tocado.
- 19:25 O Defensor.
- 19:25 O como el último.
- 19:25 O tomará Su lugar.
- 19:26 Lit. que ellos han cortado.
- 19:26 Lit. desde.
- 19:27 O a mi lado.
- 19:27 Lit. Desfallecen mis riñones.
- 19:28 O la raíz del asunto se halla en él.
Job 19
New International Version
Job
19 Then Job replied:
2 “How long will you torment(A) me
and crush(B) me with words?
3 Ten times(C) now you have reproached(D) me;
shamelessly you attack me.
4 If it is true that I have gone astray,
my error(E) remains my concern alone.
5 If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me(F)
and use my humiliation against me,
6 then know that God has wronged me(G)
and drawn his net(H) around me.(I)
7 “Though I cry, ‘Violence!’ I get no response;(J)
though I call for help,(K) there is no justice.(L)
8 He has blocked my way so I cannot pass;(M)
he has shrouded my paths in darkness.(N)
9 He has stripped(O) me of my honor(P)
and removed the crown from my head.(Q)
10 He tears me down(R) on every side till I am gone;
he uproots my hope(S) like a tree.(T)
11 His anger(U) burns against me;
he counts me among his enemies.(V)
12 His troops advance in force;(W)
they build a siege ramp(X) against me
and encamp around my tent.(Y)
13 “He has alienated my family(Z) from me;
my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.(AA)
14 My relatives have gone away;
my closest friends(AB) have forgotten me.
15 My guests(AC) and my female servants(AD) count me a foreigner;
they look on me as on a stranger.
16 I summon my servant, but he does not answer,
though I beg him with my own mouth.
17 My breath is offensive to my wife;
I am loathsome(AE) to my own family.
18 Even the little boys(AF) scorn me;
when I appear, they ridicule me.(AG)
19 All my intimate friends(AH) detest me;(AI)
those I love have turned against me.(AJ)
20 I am nothing but skin and bones;(AK)
I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.[a]
21 “Have pity on me, my friends,(AL) have pity,
for the hand of God has struck(AM) me.
22 Why do you pursue(AN) me as God does?(AO)
Will you never get enough of my flesh?(AP)
23 “Oh, that my words were recorded,
that they were written on a scroll,(AQ)
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool(AR) on[b] lead,
or engraved in rock forever!(AS)
25 I know that my redeemer[c](AT) lives,(AU)
and that in the end he will stand on the earth.[d]
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet[e] in[f] my flesh I will see God;(AV)
27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes(AW)—I, and not another.
How my heart yearns(AX) within me!
Footnotes
- Job 19:20 Or only by my gums
- Job 19:24 Or and
- Job 19:25 Or vindicator
- Job 19:25 Or on my grave
- Job 19:26 Or And after I awake, / though this body has been destroyed, / then
- Job 19:26 Or destroyed, / apart from
- Job 19:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts me
- Job 19:29 Or sword, / that you may come to know the Almighty
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