| King James Bible | New International Version |
| 1Then Job answered and said, | 1Then Job replied: |
| 2I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all. | 2"I have heard many things like these; you are miserable comforters, all of you! |
| 3Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? | 3Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing? |
| 4I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you. | 4I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. |
| 5But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief. | 5But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief. |
| 6Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased? | 6"Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away. |
| 7But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company. | 7Surely, God, you have worn me out; you have devastated my entire household. |
| 8And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face. | 8You have shriveled me up--and it has become a witness; my gauntness rises up and testifies against me. |
| 9He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me. | 9God assails me and tears me in his anger and gnashes his teeth at me; my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes. |
| 10They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me. | 10People open their mouths to jeer at me; they strike my cheek in scorn and unite together against me. |
| 11God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. | 11God has turned me over to the ungodly and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked. |
| 12I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark. | 12All was well with me, but he shattered me; he seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has made me his target; |
| 13His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground. | 13his archers surround me. Without pity, he pierces my kidneys and spills my gall on the ground. |
| 14He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant. | 14Again and again he bursts upon me; he rushes at me like a warrior. |
| 15I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust. | 15"I have sewed sackcloth over my skin and buried my brow in the dust. |
| 16My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death; | 16My face is red with weeping, dark shadows ring my eyes; |
| 17Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure. | 17yet my hands have been free of violence and my prayer is pure. |
| 18O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place. | 18"Earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry never be laid to rest! |
| 19Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high. | 19Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. |
| 20My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God. | 20My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; |
| 21O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour! | 21on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend. |
| 22When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return. | 22"Only a few years will pass before I take the path of no return. |
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