Job 6-7
Modern English Version
Job Replies: My Complaint Is Just
6 But Job answered:
2 “Oh, that my grief were fully weighed,
and my calamity laid with it on the scales!
3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea;
therefore my words are stuck in my throat.
4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me;
my spirit drinks in their poison;
the terrors of God are arrayed against me.
5 Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass?
Or the ox bellow over his fodder?
6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt?
Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
7 My soul refuses to touch them;
they are like 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 That it would please God to crush me,
that He would let loose His hand and cut me off!
10 Then I would still have comfort;
I would revel in pain; it will not subside,
for I have not concealed the words of 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 made of brass?
13 Is there no help within me?
And is success banished from me?
14 “A despairing man should be shown kindness from his friend,
or he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
15 My brothers have acted deceitfully like a riverbed,
like the streams of the riverbeds that run dry;
16 which are dark because of the ice,
and into which the snow disappears.
17 In time they are scorched; they vanish!
When it is hot, they disappear from their place.
18 The caravans of their way turn aside;
they go nowhere, and they perish.
19 The caravans of Tema looked,
the travelers of Sheba hoped for them.
20 They were disappointed because they were confident;
they arrived there and were dismayed.
21 For now you are nothing;
you see terror and are afraid.
22 Did I say, ‘Give to me’?
Or, ‘Out of your wealth, bribe me’?
23 Or, ‘Deliver me from the power of the enemy’?
Or, ‘From the power of the oppressors, liberate me’?
24 “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue,
and make me understand how I have erred.
25 How forceful are right words!
But what does your arguing prove?
26 Do you mean to correct my words,
and treat my desperate words as wind?
27 Yes, you cast lots for the fatherless,
and you bargain over your friend.
28 “And now, please give me your attention,
for surely I will not lie to you.
29 Turn, I pray, let there be no injustice!
Yes, turn again, my righteousness still stands!
30 Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot my taste discern pernicious things?
Job: My Suffering Is Endless
7 “Is there not a time of hard service for a man upon earth?
Are not his days also like the days of a hired worker?
2 Like a servant, he longs for the shade,
and like a hired worker, he looks for his wages,
3 so I have been assigned months of futility,
and nights of trouble have been appointed to me.
4 When I lie down, I say,
‘When will I arise and the night be ended?’
And I am full of restlessness until the dawn.
5 My flesh is covered with worms and caked with dirt;
my skin is broken, and has become loathsome.
6 “My days fly more swiftly than a weaver’s shuttle,
and are spent without hope.
7 Oh, remember that my life is a breath!
My eye will never again see good.
8 The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more;
your eyes will be on me, but I will be no more.
9 As the cloud disappears and vanishes away,
so he who goes down to Sheol will come up no more.
10 He will never return to his house,
and his place will not recognize him anymore.
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 the sea, or a sea monster,
that You set a guard over me?
13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
my couch will ease my complaint,’
14 then You scare me with dreams
and terrify me with visions,
15 so that my soul chooses strangling,
even death rather than my life.
16 I loathe my life; I would not live forever;
let me alone, for my days are emptiness.
17 “What is man, that You should exalt him,
and that You should set Your heart on him,
18 and that You should visit him every morning,
and test him every moment?
19 How long until You look away from me?
Will You not let me alone until I swallow my saliva?
20 Have I sinned? What am I doing to You,
O You watcher of men?
Why have You set me as Your target,
so that I am a burden to myself?
21 And why do You not pardon my transgression
and take away my iniquity?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
and You will seek me diligently, but I will not be.”
Job 6-7
Authorized (King James) Version
6 But Job answered and said,
2 Oh that my grief were throughly 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 whereof drinketh up my spirit:
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 is unsavoury 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 sorrowful 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 shewed from 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 what 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 forcible 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 it not be iniquity;
yea, return again, my righteousness is in it.
30 Is there iniquity in my tongue?
cannot my taste discern perverse things?
7 Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth?
are not his days also like the days of an hireling?
2 As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow,
and as an 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 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 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 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 alway:
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.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.