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Job’s Fifth Speech: A Response to Eliphaz

16 Then Job spoke again:

“I have heard all this before.
    What miserable comforters you are!
Won’t you ever stop blowing hot air?
    What makes you keep on talking?
I could say the same things if you were in my place.
    I could spout off criticism and shake my head at you.
But if it were me, I would encourage you.
    I would try to take away your grief.
Instead, I suffer if I defend myself,
    and I suffer no less if I refuse to speak.

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Job Reasons with Eliphaz

16 In response, Job said:

“I’ve heard many things like this.
    What miserable comforters you all are!
Will windy words like yours never end?
    What is upsetting you that you keep on arguing?

“I could also talk like you
    if only you were in my place!
Then I would put together an argument[a] against you.
    I would shake my head at you
and encourage you with what I have to say;[b]
    my words of comfort would lessen your pain.

“But if I speak, my pain isn’t assuaged;
    if I refrain from speaking, what do I have to lose?”

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Footnotes

  1. Job 16:4 Lit. together words
  2. Job 16:5 Lit. with my mouth