Job 6-7
21st Century King James Version
6 But Job answered and said:
2 “Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!
3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; therefore my words are swallowed up.
4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me; the poison thereof drinketh up my spirit; the terrors of God set themselves in array against me.
5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? Or loweth the ox over his fodder?
6 Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
7 The things that my soul refused to touch are as my distressing meat.
8 “Oh that I might have my request, and that God would grant me the thing that I long for:
9 even that it would please God to destroy me, that He would let loose His hand and cut me off!
10 Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow. Let Him not spare, for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.
11 What is my strength, that I should hope? And what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh of brass?
13 Is not my help in me? And is wisdom driven quite from me?
14 “To him that is afflicted, pity should be shown by his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.
15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away,
16 which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid.
17 When in time they wax warm, they vanish; when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.
18 The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing and perish.
19 The troops of Tema looked; the companies of Sheba waited for them.
20 They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither and were ashamed.
21 For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down and are afraid.
22 Did I say, ‘Bring unto me’? or, ‘Give a reward for me of your substance’?
23 Or, ‘Deliver me from the enemy’s hand’? or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the mighty’?
24 “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
25 How forceful are right words! But what doth your arguing reprove?
26 Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?
27 Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend.
28 “Now therefore be content, look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I lie.
29 Return, I pray you, let there be no iniquity; yea, return again; my righteousness is in it.
30 Is there iniquity on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern perverse things?
7 “Is there not an appointed time for man upon earth? Are not his days also like the days of a hireling?
2 As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as a hireling looketh for the reward of his work,
3 so am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.
4 When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise and the night be gone?’ And I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and has become loathsome.
6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.
7 “O remember that my life is wind; mine eye shall no more see good.
8 The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more; Thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.
9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.
10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
11 Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a whale, that Thou settest a watch over me?
13 When I say, ‘My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint,’
14 then Thou scarest me with dreams and terrifiest me through visions,
15 so that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.
16 I loathe it; I would not live always. Let me alone, for my days are vanity.
17 “What is man, that Thou shouldest magnify him, and that Thou shouldest set Thine heart upon him?
18 And that Thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?
19 How long wilt Thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?
20 I have sinned. What shall I do unto Thee, O Thou preserver of men? Why hast Thou set me as a mark against Thee, so that I am a burden to myself?
21 And why dost Thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? For now shall I sleep in the dust, and Thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.”
Job 6-7
American Standard Version
6 Then Job answered and said,
2 Oh that my vexation were but weighed,
And all my calamity laid in the balances!
3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas:
Therefore have my words been rash.
4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me,
The poison whereof my spirit drinketh up:
The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.
5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass?
Or loweth the ox over his fodder?
6 Can that which hath no savor be eaten without salt?
Or is there any taste in [a]the white of an egg?
7 [b]My soul refuseth to touch them;
They are as loathsome food to me.
8 Oh that I might have my request;
And that God would grant me the thing that I long for!
9 Even that it would please God to crush me;
That he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!
10 And be it still my consolation,
[c]Yea, let me [d]exult in pain [e]that spareth not,
That I have not [f]denied the words of the Holy One.
11 What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is mine end, that I should be patient?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones?
Or is my flesh of brass?
13 Is it not that I have no help in me,
And that wisdom is driven quite from me?
14 To him that is ready to faint kindness should be showed from his friend;
[g]Even to him that forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.
15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook,
As the channel of brooks that pass away;
16 Which are black by reason of the ice,
And wherein the snow hideth itself:
17 What time they [h]wax warm, they vanish;
When it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.
18 [i]The caravans that travel by the way of them turn aside;
They go up into the waste, and perish.
19 The caravans of Tema looked,
The companies of Sheba waited for them.
20 They were put to shame because they had hoped;
They came thither, and were confounded.
21 For now ye [j]are nothing;
Ye see a terror, and are afraid.
22 Did I say, Give unto me?
Or, Offer a present for me of your substance?
23 Or, Deliver me from the adversary’s hand?
Or, Redeem me from the hand of the oppressors?
24 Teach me, and I will hold my peace;
And cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
25 How forcible are words of uprightness!
But your reproof, what doth it reprove?
26 Do ye think to reprove words,
Seeing that the speeches of one that is desperate are [k]as wind?
27 Yea, ye would cast lots upon the fatherless,
And make merchandise of your friend.
28 Now therefore be pleased to look upon me;
[l]For surely I shall not lie to your face.
29 Return, I pray you, let there be no injustice;
Yea, return again, [m]my cause is righteous.
30 Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot my taste discern mischievous things?
7 Is there not a [n]warfare to man upon earth?
And are not his days like the days of a hireling?
2 As a servant that earnestly desireth the shadow,
And as a hireling that looketh for his wages:
3 So am I made to possess months of misery,
And wearisome nights are appointed to me.
4 When I lie down, I say,
When shall I arise, and the night be gone?
And I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust;
My skin [o]closeth up, and breaketh out afresh.
6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And are spent without hope.
7 Oh remember that my life is a breath:
Mine eye shall no more see good.
8 The eye of him that seeth me shall behold me no more;
Thine eyes shall be upon me, but I shall not be.
9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away,
So he that goeth down to Sheol shall come up no more.
10 He shall return no more to his house,
Neither shall his place know him any more.
11 Therefore I will not refrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea-monster,
That thou settest a watch over me?
13 When I say, My bed shall comfort me,
My couch shall ease my complaint;
14 Then thou scarest me with dreams,
And terrifiest me through visions:
15 So that my soul chooseth strangling,
And death rather than these my bones.
16 [p]I loathe my life; I [q]would not live alway:
Let me alone; for my days are [r]vanity.
17 What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him,
And that thou shouldest set thy mind upon him,
18 And that thou shouldest visit him every morning,
And try him every moment?
19 How long wilt thou not look away from me,
Nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?
20 If I have sinned, what [s]do I unto thee, O thou [t]watcher of men?
Why hast thou set me as a mark for thee,
So that I am a burden to myself?
21 And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity?
For now shall I lie down in the dust;
And thou wilt seek me diligently, but I shall not be.
Footnotes
- Job 6:6 Or, the juice of purslain
- Job 6:7 Or, What things my soul refused to touch, these are as my loathsome food
- Job 6:10 Or, Though I shrink back
- Job 6:10 Or, harden myself
- Job 6:10 Or, though he spare not
- Job 6:10 Or, concealed
- Job 6:14 Or, Else might he forsake. Or, But he forsaketh
- Job 6:17 Or, shrink
- Job 6:18 Or, The paths of their way are turned aside
- Job 6:21 Another reading is, are like thereto.
- Job 6:26 Or, for the wind
- Job 6:28 Or, And it will be evident unto you if I lie
- Job 6:29 Hebrew my righteousness is in it.
- Job 7:1 Or, time of service
- Job 7:5 Or, is broken and become loathsome
- Job 7:16 Or, I waste away
- Job 7:16 Or, shall
- Job 7:16 Or, as a breath
- Job 7:20 Or, can I do
- Job 7:20 Or, preserver
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