Job 16

¹But Job answering said:

²I have heard oftentimes such things, heavy comforters you are all.

³Shall words full of wind have an end? Or is any thing troublesome to thee, if thou speak?

⁴I also could speak things like to you: and would God your soul were for my soul.

⁵I also would comfort you with words, and would wag my head upon you.

⁶I would strengthen you with my mouth, and would move my lips, as sparing you.

⁷But what shall I do? If I speak, my pain will not rest: and if I hold my peace, it will not depart from me.

⁸But now my sorrow hath oppressed me, & all my limbs are brought to nothing.

⁹My wrinkles give testimony against me, and a false speaker is raised up against my face contradicting me.

¹⁰He hath gathered his fury upon me, and threatening me hath gnashed against me with his teeth, mine enemy hath beheld me with terrible eyes.

¹¹They have opened their mouths upon me, and exprobating have strucken my cheek, they are filled with my pains.

¹²God hath shut me up with the wicked man, and hath delivered me to the hands of the impious.

¹³I sometime that wealthy-one suddenly am broken: he hath held my neck, broken me, and set me to himself as it were a mark.

¹⁴He hath compassed me with his spears, he hath wounded my loins, he hath not spared, and hath poured out on the earth my bowels.

¹⁵He hath cut me with wound upon wound, he hath come violently upon me as it were a giant.

¹⁶I have sowed sackcloth upon my skin, and have covered my flesh with ashes.

¹⁷My face is swollen with weeping, and my eye-lids are dim.

¹⁸These things have I suffered without the iniquity of my hand, whereas I had clean prayers to God.

¹⁹Earth cover not my blood, neither let my cry find place in thee to be hid.

²⁰For behold my witness is in heaven, and he that knoweth my conscience on high.

²¹My friends full of words: mine eye distilleth unto God.

²²And would God a man might so be judged with God, as the son of man is judged with his companion.

²³For behold the short years pass away, and I walk the path, by the which I shall not return.