Job's Fifth Speech

1 Then Job (a)answered,

1 Then Job answered and said,

1 Then Job answered:

1 In response, Job said:

1 Then Job answered and said,

2 “I have heard many such things;(b)(A)Sorry comforters are you all.

2 I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.

2 I have heard many things like these.You are all miserable comforters.(A)

2 "I've heard many things like this. What miserable comforters you all are!

2 “I have heard many such things;Wearisome and miserable comforters are you all.

3 “Is there no limit to (B)windy words?Or what plagues you that you answer?

3 Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?

3 Is there no end to your empty(a)(B) words?What provokes you that you continue testifying?

3 Will windy words like yours never end? What is upsetting you that you keep on arguing?

3 “Is there no end to [your futile] words of wind?Or what plagues you [so much] that you [so boldly] answer [me like this]?

4 “I too could speak like you,If (c)I were in your place.I could compose words against youAnd (C)shake my head at you.

4 I 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.

4 If you were in my place I could also talk like you.I could string words together against youand shake my head at you.

4 "I could also talk like you if only you were in my place! Then I would put together an argument against you. I would shake my head at you

4 “I also could speak like you,If you were in my place;I could compose and join words together against youAnd shake my head at you.

5 “I could strengthen you with my mouth,And the solace of my lips could lessen your pain.

5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.

5 Instead, I would encourage you with my mouth,and the consolation from my lips would bring relief.(C)

5 and encourage you with what I have to say; my words of comfort would lessen your pain.

5 “[But instead] I could strengthen and encourage you with [the words of] my mouth,And the consolation and solace of my lips would soothe your suffering and lessen your anguish.

6 “If I speak, (D)my pain is not lessened,And if I hold back, what has left me?

6 Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?

6 Even if I speak, my suffering is not relieved,and if I hold back, what have I lost?

6 "But if I speak, my pain isn't assuaged; if I refrain from speaking, what do I have to lose?"

6 “If I speak [to you miserable comforters], my pain is not relieved;And if I refrain [from speaking], what [pain or anguish] leaves me?

7 “But now He has (E)exhausted me;You have laid (F)waste all my company.

7 But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.

7 Surely He(b) has now exhausted me.You have devastated my entire family.

7 "God has certainly worn me out; you devastated my entire world.

7 “But now God has exhausted me.You [O Lord] have destroyed all my family and my household.

8 “You have shriveled me up,(G)It has become a witness;And my (H)leanness rises up against me,It testifies to my face.

8 And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

8 You have shriveled me up(c)—it has become a witness;My frailty rises up against me and testifies to my face.

8 You've arrested me, making me testify against myself! My leanness rises up to attack me, accusing me to my face.

8 “You have taken a firm hold on me and have shriveled me up,It has become a witness [against me];And my leanness [and infirmity] rises up [as evidence] against me,It testifies to my face [about my guilt].

Job Describes What God Has Done To Him

9 “His anger has (I)torn me and (d)hunted me down,He has (J)gnashed at me with His teeth;My (K)adversary (e)glares at me.

9 He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

9 His anger tears at me, and He harasses(D) me.He gnashes His teeth at me.My enemy pierces me with His eyes.

9 His anger tears me in his persistent resentment against me; he gnashes his teeth at me. My adversary glares at me.

9 “His wrath has torn me and hunted me down,He has gnashed at me with his teeth;My adversary sharpens His gaze and glares [with piercing eyes] at me.

10 “They have (L)gaped at me with their mouth,They have (f)(M)slapped me on the cheek with contempt;They have (N)massed themselves against me.

10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.

10 They open their mouths against meand strike my cheeks with contempt;(E)they join themselves together against me.

10 People gaped at me with mouths wide open; they slap me in their scorn and gather together against me.

10 “They have gaped at me with their mouths,With contempt they have struck me on the cheek;They massed themselves together [and conspired] against me.(A)

11 “God hands me over to ruffiansAnd tosses me into the hands of the wicked.

11 God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.

11 God hands me over to unjust men;(d)He throws me into the hands of the wicked.

11 God has delivered me over to the ungodly, throwing me into the control of the wicked.

11 “God hands me over to (a)criminalsAnd tosses me [headlong] into the hands of the wicked.

Everything Was Going Well

12 “I was at ease, but (O)He shattered me,And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces;He has also set me up as His (P)target.

12 I 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.

12 I was at ease, but He shattered me;He seized me by the scruff of the neckand smashed me to pieces.He set me up as His target;(F)

12 "He tore me apart when I was at ease; grabbing me by my neck, he shook me to pieces then he really made me his target.

12 “I was [living] at ease, but He crushed me and broke me apart,And He has seized me by the neck and has shaken me to pieces;He has also set me up as His target.

13 “His (Q)arrows surround me.Without mercy He splits my kidneys open;He pours out (R)my gall on the ground.

13 His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.

13 His archers(e) surround me.He pierces my kidneys without mercyand pours my bile on the ground.

13 His archers surround me, slashing open my kidneys without pity; he pours out my gall on the ground.

13 “His arrows surround me.He pierces my kidneys (vital organs) without mercy;He pours out my gall on the ground.

14 “He (S)breaks through me with breach after breach;He (T)runs at me like a warrior.

14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.

14 He breaks through my defenses again and again;(f)He charges at me like a warrior.(G)

14 Attack follows attack as he breaks through my defenses! He runs over me like a mighty warrior.

14 “He attacks me, making wound after wound;He runs at me like a warrior.

15 “I have sewed (U)sackcloth over my skinAnd (V)thrust my horn in the dust.

15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.

15 I have sewn sackcloth over my skin;I have buried my strength(g) in the dust.(H)

15 "I've even sewn sackcloth directly to my skin; I've buried my strength in the dust.

15 “I have sewed sackcloth over my skin [as a sign of mourning]And have defiled my horn (symbol of strength) in the dust.

16 “My face is flushed from (W)weeping,(X)And deep darkness is on my eyelids,

16 My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

16 My face has grown red with weeping,and darkness(I) covers my eyes,

16 My face is red from my tears, and dark shadows encircle my eyelids,

16 “My face is red and swollen with weeping,And on my eyelids is the shadow of death [my eyes are dimmed],

17 Although there is no (Y)violence in my hands,And (Z)my prayer is pure.

17 Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.

17 although my hands are free from violence(J)and my prayer is pure.

17 even though violence is not my intention, and my prayer is pure."

17 Although there is no violence or wrongdoing in my hands,And my prayer is pure.

Job Appeals His Case To Heaven

18 “O earth, do not cover my blood,And let there be no resting place for my cry.

18 O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.

18 Earth, do not cover my blood;may my cry for help find no resting place.(K)

18 "Listen, earth! Don't cover my blood, for my outcry has no place to rest.

18 “O earth, do not cover my blood,And let there be no [resting] place for my cry [where it will cease being heard].

19 “Even now, behold, (AA)my witness is in heaven,And my (g)advocate is (AB)on high.

19 Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.

19 Even now my witness is in heaven,and my advocate is in the heights!(L)

19 Even now, behold! I have a witness in heaven, my Advocate is on high.

19 “Even now, behold, my Witness is in heaven,And my Advocate [who vouches and testifies for me] is on high.(B)

20 “My friends are my scoffers;(AC)My eye (h)weeps to God.

20 My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.

20 My friends scoff at meas I weep before God.

20 My friends mock me, while my eyes overflow with tears to God,

20 “My friends are scoffers [who ridicule];My eye pours out tears to God.

21 “O that a man might plead with GodAs a man with his neighbor!

21 O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!

21 I wish that someone might arbitratebetween a man and God(M)just as a man pleads for his friend.

21 crying for him to arbitrate between this man and God; as a human being does with his fellow neighbor.

21 “Oh, that a man would mediate and plead with God [for me]Just as a man [mediates and pleads] with his neighbor and friend.(C)

22 “For when a few years are past,I shall go the way (AD)of no return.

22 When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

22 For only a few years will passbefore I go the way of no return. >

22 For when only a few years have elapsed, I'll start down a path from which I'll never return."

22 “For when a few years are past,I shall go the way of no return.

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