New International Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
1Then Job replied: | 1Then Job answered, |
2"I have heard many things like these; you are miserable comforters, all of you! | 2"I have heard many such things; Sorry comforters are you all. |
3Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing? | 3"Is there no limit to windy words? Or what plagues you that you answer? |
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. | 4"I too could speak like you, If I were in your place. I could compose words against you And shake my head at you. |
5But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief. | 5"I could strengthen you with my mouth, And the solace of my lips could lessen your pain. |
6"Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away. | 6"If I speak, my pain is not lessened, And if I hold back, what has left me? |
7Surely, God, you have worn me out; you have devastated my entire household. | 7"But now He has exhausted me; You have laid waste all my company. |
8You have shriveled me up--and it has become a witness; my gauntness rises up and testifies against me. | 8"You have shriveled me up, It has become a witness; And my leanness rises up against me, It testifies to my face. |
9God assails me and tears me in his anger and gnashes his teeth at me; my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes. | 9"His anger has torn me and hunted me down, He has gnashed at me with His teeth; My adversary glares at me. |
10People open their mouths to jeer at me; they strike my cheek in scorn and unite together against me. | 10"They have gaped at me with their mouth, They have slapped me on the cheek with contempt; They have massed themselves against me. |
11God has turned me over to the ungodly and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked. | 11"God hands me over to ruffians And tosses me into the hands of the wicked. |
12All was well with me, but he shattered me; he seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has made me his target; | 12"I was at ease, but He shattered me, And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces; He has also set me up as His target. |
13his archers surround me. Without pity, he pierces my kidneys and spills my gall on the ground. | 13"His arrows surround me. Without mercy He splits my kidneys open; He pours out my gall on the ground. |
14Again and again he bursts upon me; he rushes at me like a warrior. | 14"He breaks through me with breach after breach; He runs at me like a warrior. |
15"I have sewed sackcloth over my skin and buried my brow in the dust. | 15"I have sewed sackcloth over my skin And thrust my horn in the dust. |
16My face is red with weeping, dark shadows ring my eyes; | 16"My face is flushed from weeping, And deep darkness is on my eyelids, |
17yet my hands have been free of violence and my prayer is pure. | 17Although there is no violence in my hands, And my prayer is pure. |
18"Earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry never be laid to rest! | 18"O earth, do not cover my blood, And let there be no resting place for my cry. |
19Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. | 19"Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, And my advocate is on high. |
20My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; | 20"My friends are my scoffers; My eye weeps to God. |
21on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend. | 21"O that a man might plead with God As a man with his neighbor! |
22"Only a few years will pass before I take the path of no return. | 22"For when a few years are past, I shall go the way of no return. |
New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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