Job 6-7
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: My Suffering Is Comfortless
7 “Is there not (S)a time of hard service for man on earth?
Are not his days also like the days of a hired man?
2 Like a servant who [e]earnestly desires the shade,
And like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages,
3 So I have been allotted (T)months of futility,
And wearisome nights have been appointed to me.
4 (U)When I lie down, I say, ‘When shall I arise,
And the night be ended?’
For I have had my fill of tossing till dawn.
5 My flesh is (V)caked with worms and dust,
My skin is cracked and breaks out afresh.
6 “My(W) days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And are spent without hope.
7 Oh, remember that (X)my life is a breath!
My eye will never again see good.
8 (Y)The eye of him who sees me will see me no more;
While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be.
9 As the cloud disappears and vanishes away,
So (Z)he who goes down to the grave does not come up.
10 He shall never return to his house,
(AA)Nor shall his place know him anymore.
11 “Therefore I will (AB)not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will (AC)complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I a sea, or a sea serpent,
That You set a guard over me?
13 (AD)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
And death rather than [f]my body.
16 (AE)I loathe my life;
I would not live forever.
(AF)Let me alone,
For (AG)my days are but [g]a breath.
17 “What(AH) is man, that You should exalt him,
That You should set Your heart on him,
18 That You should [h]visit him every morning,
And test him every moment?
19 How long?
Will You not look away from me,
And let me alone till I swallow my saliva?
20 Have I sinned?
What have I done to You, (AI)O watcher of men?
Why (AJ)have You set me as Your target,
So that I am a burden [i]to myself?
21 Why then 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 no longer 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.