| New King James Version | New International Version |
| 1Then Job answered and said: | 1Then Job replied: |
| 2“I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all! | 2"I have heard many things like these; you are miserable comforters, all of you! |
| 3Shall words of wind have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer? | 3Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing? |
| 4I also could speak as you do, If your soul were in my soul’s place. I could heap up words against you, And shake my 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 comfort of my lips would relieve your grief. | 5But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief. |
| 6“Though I speak, my grief is not relieved; And if I remain silent, how 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 has worn me out; You have made desolate all my company. | 7Surely, God, you have worn me out; you have devastated my entire household. |
| 8You have shriveled me up, And it is a witness against me; My leanness rises up against me And bears witness to my face. | 8You have shriveled me up--and it has become a witness; my gauntness rises up and testifies against me. |
| 9He tears me in His wrath, and hates me; He gnashes at me with His teeth; My adversary sharpens His gaze on 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 gape at me with their mouth, They strike me reproachfully on the cheek, They gather together against me. | 10People open their mouths to jeer at me; they strike my cheek in scorn and unite together against me. |
| 11God has delivered me to the ungodly, And turned me over to 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 has shattered me; He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces; He has set me up for His target, | 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 surround me. He pierces my heart and does not pity; He pours out my gall on the ground. | 13his archers surround me. Without pity, he pierces my kidneys and spills my gall on the ground. |
| 14He breaks me with wound upon wound; He runs at me like a warrior. | 14Again and again he bursts upon me; he rushes at me like a warrior. |
| 15“I have sewn sackcloth over my skin, And laid my head in the dust. | 15"I have sewed sackcloth over my skin and buried my brow in the dust. |
| 16My face is flushed from weeping, And on my eyelids is the shadow of death; | 16My face is red with weeping, dark shadows ring my eyes; |
| 17Although no violence is in my hands, And my prayer is pure. | 17yet my hands have been free of violence and my prayer is pure. |
| 18“O earth, do not cover my blood, And let my cry have no resting place! | 18"Earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry never be laid to rest! |
| 19Surely even now my witness is in heaven, And my evidence is on high. | 19Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. |
| 20My friends scorn me; My eyes pour out tears to God. | 20My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; |
| 21Oh, that one might plead for a man with God, As a man pleads for his neighbor! | 21on behalf of a man he pleads with God as one pleads for a friend. |
| 22For when a few years are finished, I shall go the way of no return. | 22"Only a few years will pass before I take the path of no return. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | 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. |
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