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Job’s Sixth Speech: A Response to Bildad

19 Then Job spoke again:

“How long will you torture me?
    How long will you try to crush me with your words?
You have already insulted me ten times.
    You should be ashamed of treating me so badly.
Even if I have sinned,
    that is my concern, not yours.
You think you’re better than I am,
    using my humiliation as evidence of my sin.
But it is God who has wronged me,
    capturing me in his net.[a]

“I cry out, ‘Help!’ but no one answers me.
    I protest, but there is no justice.
God has blocked my way so I cannot move.
    He has plunged my path into darkness.
He has stripped me of my honor
    and removed the crown from my head.
10 He has demolished me on every side, and I am finished.
    He has uprooted my hope like a fallen tree.
11 His fury burns against me;
    he counts me as an enemy.
12 His troops advance.
    They build up roads to attack me.
    They camp all around my tent.

13 “My relatives stay far away,
    and my friends have turned against me.
14 My family is gone,
    and my close friends have forgotten me.
15 My servants and maids consider me a stranger.
    I am like a foreigner to them.
16 When I call my servant, he doesn’t come;
    I have to plead with him!
17 My breath is repulsive to my wife.
    I am rejected by my own family.
18 Even young children despise me.
    When I stand to speak, they turn their backs on me.
19 My close friends detest me.
    Those I loved have turned against me.
20 I have been reduced to skin and bones
    and have escaped death by the skin of my teeth.

21 “Have mercy on me, my friends, have mercy,
    for the hand of God has struck me.
22 Must you also persecute me, like God does?
    Haven’t you chewed me up enough?

23 “Oh, that my words could be recorded.
    Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument,
24 carved with an iron chisel and filled with lead,
    engraved forever in the rock.

25 “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
    and he will stand upon the earth at last.
26 And after my body has decayed,
    yet in my body I will see God![b]
27 I will see him for myself.
    Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.
    I am overwhelmed at the thought!

28 “How dare you go on persecuting me,
    saying, ‘It’s his own fault’?
29 You should fear punishment yourselves,
    for your attitude deserves punishment.
    Then you will know that there is indeed a judgment.”

Footnotes

  1. 19:6 Or for I am like a city under siege.
  2. 19:26 Or without my body I will see God. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

19 Y RESPONDIO Job, y dijo:

¿Hasta cuándo angustiaréis mi alma, Y me moleréis con palabras?

Ya me habéis vituperado diez veces: ¿No os avergonzáis de descomediros delante de mí?

Sea así que realmente haya yo errado, Conmigo se quedará mi yerro.

Mas si vosotros os engrandeciereis contra mí, Y adujereis contra mí mi oprobio,

Sabed ahora que Dios me ha trastornado, Y traído en derredor su red sobre mí.

He aquí yo clamaré agravio, y no seré oído: Daré voces, y no habrá juicio.

Cercó de vallado mi camino, y no pasaré; Y sobre mis veredas puso tinieblas.

Hame despojado de mi gloria, Y quitado la corona de mi cabeza.

10 Arruinóme por todos lados, y perezco; Y ha hecho pasar mi esperanza como árbol arrancado.

11 E hizo inflamar contra mí su furor, Y contóme para sí entre sus enemigos.

12 Vinieron sus ejércitos á una, y trillaron sobre mí su camino, Y asentaron campo en derredor de mi tienda.

13 Hizo alejar de mí mis hermanos, Y positivamente se extrañaron de mí mis conocidos.

14 Mis parientes se detuvieron, Y mis conocidos se olvidaron de mí.

15 Los moradores de mi casa y mis criadas me tuvieron por extraño; Forastero fuí yo en sus ojos.

16 Llamé á mi siervo, y no respondió; De mi propia boca le suplicaba.

17 Mi aliento vino á ser extraño á mi mujer, Aunque por los hijos de mis entrañas le rogaba.

18 Aun los muchachos me menospreciaron: En levantándome, hablaban contra mí.

19 Todos mis confidentes me aborrecieron; Y los que yo amaba, se tornaron contra mí.

20 Mi cuero y mi carne se pegaron á mis huesos; Y he escapado con la piel de mis dientes.

21 Oh vosotros mis amigos, tened compasión de mí, tened compasión de mí; Porque la mano de Dios me ha tocado.

22 ¿Por qué me perseguís como Dios, Y no os hartáis de mis carnes?

23 Quién diese ahora que mis palabras fuesen escritas! ­Quién diese que se escribieran en un libro!

24 Que con cincel de hierro y con plomo Fuesen en piedra esculpidas para siempre!

25 Yo sé que mi Redentor vive, Y al fin se levantará sobre el polvo:

26 Y después de deshecha esta mi piel, Aun he de ver en mi carne á Dios;

27 Al cual yo tengo de ver por mí, Y mis ojos lo verán, y no otro, Aunque mis riñones se consuman dentro de mí.

28 Mas debierais decir: ¿Por qué lo perseguimos? Ya que la raíz del negocio en mí se halla.

29 Temed vosotros delante de la espada; Porque sobreviene el furor de la espada á causa de las injusticias, Para que sepáis que hay un juicio.

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 Trusts in His Redeemer

19 Then Job answered and said:

“How long will you torment my soul,
And break me in pieces with words?
These ten times you have [a]reproached me;
You are not ashamed that you [b]have wronged me.
And if indeed I have erred,
My error remains with me.
If indeed you (A)exalt yourselves against me,
And plead my disgrace against me,
Know then that (B)God has wronged me,
And has surrounded me with His net.

“If I cry out concerning [c]wrong, I am not heard.
If I cry aloud, there is no justice.
(C)He has [d]fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass;
And He has set darkness in my paths.
(D)He has stripped me of my glory,
And taken the crown from my head.
10 He breaks me down on every side,
And I am gone;
My (E)hope He has uprooted like a tree.
11 He has also kindled His wrath against me,
And (F)He counts me as one of His enemies.
12 His troops come together
And build up their road against me;
They encamp all around my tent.

13 “He(G) has removed my brothers far from me,
And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
14 My relatives have failed,
And my close friends have forgotten me.
15 Those who dwell in my house, and my maidservants,
Count me as a stranger;
I am an alien in their sight.
16 I call my servant, but he gives no answer;
I beg him with my mouth.
17 My breath is offensive to my wife,
And I am [e]repulsive to the children of my own body.
18 Even (H)young children despise me;
I arise, and they speak against me.
19 (I)All my close friends abhor me,
And those whom I love have turned against me.
20 (J)My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh,
And I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

21 “Have pity on me, have pity on me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God has struck me!
22 Why do you (K)persecute me as God does,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?

23 “Oh, that my words were written!
Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!
24 That they were engraved on a rock
With an iron pen and lead, forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is [f]destroyed, this I know,
That (L)in my flesh I shall see God,
27 Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my [g]heart yearns within me!
28 If you should say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’—
Since the root of the matter is found in me,
29 Be afraid of the sword for yourselves;
For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
That you may know there is a judgment.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 19:3 shamed or disgraced
  2. Job 19:3 A Jewish tradition make yourselves strange to me
  3. Job 19:7 violence
  4. Job 19:8 walled off my way
  5. Job 19:17 Lit. strange
  6. Job 19:26 Lit. struck off
  7. Job 19:27 Lit. kidneys