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Job 6
Revised Standard Version
Job 6
Revised Standard Version
Job Replies: My Complaint Is Just
6 Then Job answered:
2 “O that my vexation were weighed,
and all my calamity laid in the balances!
3 For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea;
therefore my words have been rash.
4 For the arrows of the Almighty are in me;
my spirit drinks their poison;
the terrors of God are arrayed against me.
5 Does the wild ass bray when he has grass,
or the ox low over his fodder?
6 Can that which is tasteless be eaten without salt,
or is there any taste in the slime of the purslane?[a]
7 My appetite refuses to touch them;
they are as food that is loathsome to me.[b]
8 “O that I might have my request,
and that God would grant my desire;
9 that it would please God to crush me,
that he would let loose his hand and cut me off!
10 This would be my consolation;
I would even exult[c] in pain unsparing;
for I have not denied the words of the Holy One.
11 What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is my end, that I should be patient?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones,
or is my flesh bronze?
13 In truth I have no help in me,
and any resource is driven from me.
14 “He who withholds[d] kindness from a friend
forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
15 My brethren are treacherous as a torrent-bed,
as freshets that pass away,
16 which are dark with ice,
and where the snow hides itself.
17 In time of heat they disappear;
when it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18 The caravans turn aside from their course;
they go up into the waste, and perish.
19 The caravans of Tema look,
the travelers of Sheba hope.
20 They are disappointed because they were confident;
they come thither and are confounded.
21 Such you have now become to me;[e]
you see my calamity, and are afraid.
22 Have I said, ‘Make me a gift’?
Or, ‘From your wealth offer a bribe for me’?
23 Or, ‘Deliver me from the adversary’s hand’?
Or, ‘Ransom me from the hand of oppressors’?
24 “Teach me, and I will be silent;
make me understand how I have erred.
25 How forceful are honest words!
But what does reproof from you reprove?
26 Do you think that you can reprove words,
when the speech of a despairing man is wind?
27 You would even cast lots over the fatherless,
and bargain over your friend.
28 “But now, be pleased to look at me;
for I will not lie to your face.
29 Turn, I pray, let no wrong be done.
Turn now, my vindication is at stake.
30 Is there any wrong on my tongue?
Cannot my taste discern calamity?
Job 6
Expanded Bible
Job 6
Expanded Bible
Job Answers Eliphaz
6 Then Job answered [L and said]:
2 “·I wish [or If only] my ·suffering [anguish; irritation] could be weighed
and my misery put on scales.
3 ·My sadness [L It] would be heavier than the sand of the seas.
No wonder my words ·seem careless [blurt out; are wild/rash].
4 [L For] The arrows of ·the Almighty [L Shaddai] are in me;
my spirit drinks in their poison;
God’s terrors ·are gathered [are ranged; enter into battle] against me.
5 ·A wild donkey does not bray when it has grass to eat [L Does not a wild donkey bray for grass?],
·and an ox is quiet when it has feed [L Does not an ox bellow for fodder?; C Job’s complaints are as natural as the sounds animals make when hungry].
6 ·Tasteless food is not [L Would tasteless food be…?] eaten without salt,
and ·there is no [L is there…?] flavor in the ·white of an egg [or juice of a weed; C Job’s “food” (his lot in life) is inedible].
7 I refuse to touch it;
such food makes me sick [C a word connected to menstruation and therefore ritual uncleanness; Lev. 15:19–30].
8 “How I wish that I might have what I ask for
and that God would give me what I hope for.
9 How I wish God would crush me
and reach out his hand to ·destroy me [cut me off].
10 Then I would have this ·comfort [consolation]
and be glad even in this unending pain,
because I would know I did not reject the words of the Holy One.
11 “·I do not have the [L What is my…?] strength to wait.
·There is nothing to hope for,
so why should I be patient [L What is my end that I should arrange my life]?
12 ·I do not [L Do I…?] have the strength of stone;
·my flesh is not [L is my flesh…?] bronze.
13 ·I have no power to help myself [L Is there no help for me?],
because ·success [resourcefulness] has been ·taken away [driven] from me.
14 “They say, ‘·A person’s friends should be kind to him when he is in trouble,
even if he stops fearing the Almighty [or Those who withhold loyalty from their friend do not fear the Almighty/Shaddai; C Job here criticizes his friends’ attitude toward him].’
15 But my ·brothers [C Job’s three friends] cannot be counted on.
They are like ·streams that do not always flow [L wadis; C seasonal riverbeds that are dry in the summer],
streams that sometimes run over.
16 They are made dark by melting ice
and rise with melting snow.
17 But they ·stop flowing [L are silent] in the dry season;
they disappear when it is hot.
18 ·Travelers [or Caravans] turn away from their paths
and go into the desert and die.
19 The groups of travelers from Tema [C an oasis in north Arabia] look for water,
and the traders of Sheba [C in south Arabia; both places were well known for their trade through the desert] look for it hopefully.
20 They are ·upset [L ashamed] because they had been sure;
when they arrive, they are ·disappointed [dismayed].
21 You ·also have been no help [L become like this to me].
You see something terrible, and you are afraid.
22 ·I have never said [L Did I ever say…?], ‘Give me a gift.
Use your wealth to ·pay my debt [or make a bribe for me].
23 ·Save [Rescue] me from the enemy’s power.
·Buy me back [Redeem me] from the clutches of ·cruel [violent] people.’
24 “Teach me, and I will be quiet.
·Show me [L Help me understand] where I have been wrong.
25 ·Honest [Virtuous; C Job speaks sarcastically] words are painful,
but your ·arguments [reproofs] prove nothing.
26 Do you mean to correct what I say?
Will you treat the words of a ·troubled [despairing] man as if they were only wind [C that is, empty]?
27 You would even ·gamble [cast lots] for orphans
and would ·trade away [sell] your friend.
28 “But now please look at me.
I would not lie to your face.
29 ·Change your mind [L Return now]; do not be unfair;
·think [return] again, because my ·innocence [righteousness] is being questioned.
30 What I am saying is not wicked;
I can ·tell [L taste] ·the difference between right and wrong [or tragedy].
Job 6
New King James Version
Job 6
New King James Version
Job: My Complaint Is Just
6 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Oh, that my grief were fully weighed,
And my calamity laid with it on the scales!
3 For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea—
Therefore my words have been rash.
4 (A)For the arrows of the Almighty are within me;
My spirit drinks in their poison;
(B)The terrors of God are arrayed (C)against me.
5 Does the (D)wild donkey bray when it has grass,
Or does the ox low over its fodder?
6 Can flavorless food be eaten without salt?
Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
7 My soul refuses to touch them;
They are as loathsome food to me.
8 “Oh, that I might have my request,
That God would grant me the thing that I long for!
9 That it would please God to crush me,
That He would loose His hand and (E)cut me off!
10 Then I would still have comfort;
Though in anguish I would exult,
He will not spare;
For (F)I have not concealed the words of (G)the Holy One.
11 “What strength do I have, that I should hope?
And what is my end, that I should prolong my life?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones?
Or is my flesh bronze?
13 Is my help not within me?
And is success driven from me?
14 “To(H) him who is [a]afflicted, kindness should be shown by his friend,
Even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
15 (I)My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook,
(J)Like the streams of the brooks that pass away,
16 Which are dark because of the ice,
And into which the snow vanishes.
17 When it is warm, they cease to flow;
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18 The paths of their way turn aside,
They go nowhere and perish.
19 The caravans of (K)Tema look,
The travelers of (L)Sheba hope for them.
20 They are (M)disappointed[b] because they were confident;
They come there and are confused.
21 For now (N)you are nothing,
You see terror and (O)are afraid.
22 Did I ever say, ‘Bring something to me’?
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth’?
23 Or, ‘Deliver me from the enemy’s hand’?
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of oppressors’?
24 “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue;
Cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
25 How forceful are right words!
But what does your arguing prove?
26 Do you intend to rebuke my words,
And the speeches of a desperate one, which are as wind?
27 Yes, you overwhelm the fatherless,
And you (P)undermine your friend.
28 Now therefore, be pleased to look at me;
For I would never lie to your face.
29 (Q)Yield now, let there be no injustice!
Yes, concede, my (R)righteousness [c]still stands!
30 Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot my [d]taste discern the unsavory?
Job 6
New International Version
Job 6
New International Version
Job
6 Then Job replied:
2 “If only my anguish could be weighed
and all my misery be placed on the scales!(A)
3 It would surely outweigh the sand(B) of the seas—
no wonder my words have been impetuous.(C)
4 The arrows(D) of the Almighty(E) are in me,(F)
my spirit drinks(G) in their poison;(H)
God’s terrors(I) are marshaled against me.(J)
5 Does a wild donkey(K) bray(L) when it has grass,
or an ox bellow when it has fodder?(M)
6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt,
or is there flavor in the sap of the mallow[a]?(N)
7 I refuse to touch it;
such food makes me ill.(O)
8 “Oh, that I might have my request,
that God would grant what I hope for,(P)
9 that God would be willing to crush(Q) me,
to let loose his hand and cut off my life!(R)
10 Then I would still have this consolation(S)—
my joy in unrelenting pain(T)—
that I had not denied the words(U) of the Holy One.(V)
11 “What strength do I have, that I should still hope?
What prospects, that I should be patient?(W)
12 Do I have the strength of stone?
Is my flesh bronze?(X)
13 Do I have any power to help myself,(Y)
now that success has been driven from me?
14 “Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend(Z)
forsakes the fear of the Almighty.(AA)
15 But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams,(AB)
as the streams that overflow
16 when darkened by thawing ice
and swollen with melting snow,(AC)
17 but that stop flowing in the dry season,
and in the heat(AD) vanish from their channels.
18 Caravans turn aside from their routes;
they go off into the wasteland and perish.
19 The caravans of Tema(AE) look for water,
the traveling merchants of Sheba(AF) look in hope.
20 They are distressed, because they had been confident;
they arrive there, only to be disappointed.(AG)
21 Now you too have proved to be of no help;
you see something dreadful and are afraid.(AH)
22 Have I ever said, ‘Give something on my behalf,
pay a ransom(AI) for me from your wealth,(AJ)
23 deliver me from the hand of the enemy,
rescue me from the clutches of the ruthless’?(AK)
24 “Teach me, and I will be quiet;(AL)
show me where I have been wrong.(AM)
25 How painful are honest words!(AN)
But what do your arguments prove?
26 Do you mean to correct what I say,
and treat my desperate words as wind?(AO)
27 You would even cast lots(AP) for the fatherless(AQ)
and barter away your friend.
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Expanded Bible (EXB)
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.