Job 6
New Catholic Bible
Job’s First Response[a]
Chapter 6
Impetuous Words.[b] 1 Job then answered with these words:
2 “If only my anguish could be weighed
and my misfortune placed with it on the scales.
3 They would then outweigh the sands of the sea—
hence, my words have been impetuous.
4 For the arrows of the Almighty[c] have pierced me,
and my spirit soaks in their poison;
God’s terrors are aligned against me.
5 “Does the wild donkey bray when it has grass?
Does an ox bellow when it has fodder?
6 Can tasteless food be eaten without salt?
Is there any flavor in the whites of eggs?
7 I refuse to even touch them;
they are like uncleanness in my food.
The Consolation of Death[d]
8 “Oh, that I might receive my request
and God would grant me what I hope for:
9 that it would please him to crush me,
cutting me off and ceasing to restrain his hand.
10 Such would be my consolation,
and I would exult in my unrelenting pain,
since I have never rebelled against the commands of the Holy One.
11 “Do I have the strength to continue to wait?
And what future awaits me should I decide to be patient?
12 Is my strength the strength of stone?
Is my flesh made of bronze?
13 How can I summon up the energy to survive?
All possible solutions to my plight are beyond my reach.
My Brethren Have Betrayed Me[e]
14 “One who despairs should have the support of his friends
even if he has forsaken the fear of the Almighty.
15 But my brethren have proved to be as treacherous as a torrent,
like watercourses that suddenly run dry;
16 they turn dark with ice
and swell with the thawing of the snow,
17 but they dry up in the hot season,
and in the heat vanish from their beds.
18 “Caravans wander off from their course;
they go into the wilderness and perish.
19 The caravans of Tema search for water;
the travelers from Sheba[f] move forward in hope.
20 But despite their confidence they are doomed to disappointment;
they arrive there, only to be frustrated.
21 In much the same way you have dealt with me;
you are stunned at my plight and are terrified.
Make Me Understand How I Have Been at Fault[g]
22 “Did I ever ask you to give me anything,
or to use your vast wealth to alleviate my travails,
23 or to rescue me from the hands of an oppressor,
or to ransom me from the power of ruthless men?
24 “Instruct me, and I will be silent;
make me understand how I have been at fault.
25 I can readily accept logical explanations,
but your arguments are without merit.
26 Do you think that your words should be embraced
whereas mine are so fragile that they can be borne away by a light breeze?
27 You would even cast lots for the fatherless
and sell your friend at a bargain price.
28 “Therefore, now I beg you to look at me,
for I will not lie to your face.
29 Consider what I have said,
and let no further injustice be inflicted upon me.
30 Does evil issue forth from my lips?
Would I not realize it if I spoke untruthfully?
Footnotes
- Job 6:1 Eliphaz’s words, despite their spiritual beauty, have remained theoretical. Is there any recourse outside of God?
- Job 6:1 Anyone who is without affliction cannot measure another person’s suffering. Just as a bow reaches an adversary, God’s chastisements pierce hearts; they are as frightening as his poisonous arrows (Deut 32:23; Ps 38:3; Lam 3:12-15; Ezek 5:16).
- Job 6:4 The arrows of the Almighty: (the Hebrew has the archaic Shaddai); the trials sent by God (see note on Ps 38:3).
- Job 6:8 Job has reached the end of his strength and his patience, and now waits only for death. His only consolation is that he will have remained faithful to God to the end.
- Job 6:14 Friendship is a refreshing source, but for the sick it is as rare as a spring for a caravan in the wilderness.
- Job 6:19 Tema . . . Sheba: Arabian commercial centers.
- Job 6:22 Job has a deep sense of his innocence. Hence, the pious proposals of his friends seem to him to be inconsiderate.
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?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
