Chapter 16

¹ But Job answered and said,

² I have heard many such things: poor comforters are ye all. ³ What! is there any reason in vain words? or what will hinder thee from answering? ⁴ I also will speak ¹as ye do: if indeed your soul were in my soul's stead, ⁵ then would I insult you with words, and I would shake my head at you. ⁶ And would there were strength in my mouth, and I would not spare the movement of my lips.

⁷ For if I should speak, I shall not feel the pain of my wound: and if I should be silent, how shall I be wounded the less? ⁸ But now he has made me weary, and a ²worn-out fool; and thou hast laid hold of me. ⁹ My falsehood has become a testimony, and has risen up against me: it has confronted me to my face.

¹⁰ In his anger he has cast me down; he has gnashed his teeth upon me: the weapons of his ³robbers have fallen upon me. ¹¹ He has attacked me with the keen glances of his eyes; with his sharp spear he has smitten me down upon my knees; and they have run upon me with one accord.

¹² For the Lord has delivered me into the hands of unrighteous men, and thrown me upon the ungodly. ¹³ When I was at peace he distracted me: he took me by the hair of the head, and plucked it out: he set me up as a mark. ¹⁴ They surrounded me with spears, aiming at my reins: without sparing me they poured out my gall upon the ground. ¹⁵ They overthrew me with fall upon fall: they ran upon me in their might. ¹⁶ They sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and my strength has been spent on the ground. ¹⁷ My belly has been parched with wailing, and ⁴darkness is on my eyelids. ¹⁸ Yet there was no injustice in my hands, and my prayer is pure.

¹⁹ Earth, cover not over the blood of my flesh, and let my cry have no place. ²⁰ And now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high. ²¹ Let my supplication come to the Lord, and let mine eye weep before him. ²² Oh that a man might plead before the Lord, even as the son of man with his

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neighbor! ²³ But my years are numbered and their end come, and I shall go by the way by which I shall not return.