Job 16:1-22 - Job's Fifth Speech

¹ And Job will answer and say, ² I heard many like there: comforters of vexation ye all. ³ Was there an end to words of wind? or what will provoke thee that thou wilt answer? ⁴ Also I will speak as you: if it is your soul instead of my soul, I will join together with words against you, and shake my head against you upon it ⁵ I will strengthen you with my month, the moving of my lips shall hold back

⁶ If I shall speak, my pain will not be held back, and shall I cease, what will go from me? ⁷ But now he made me weary: thou hast made desolate all mine assembly. ⁸ Thou wilt lay fast hold on me to be for a testimony, and my leanness will rise up in me; it will answer against my face. ⁹ He rent in his anger, and he will lie in wait for me, gnashing upon me with his teeth; mine enemy will sharpen his eyes against me. ¹⁰ They gaped upon me with their mouth; with reproach they struck upon my cheek; they will fill out together against me. ¹¹ God will shut me up to the evil one, and he will cast me into the hands of the unjust ¹² I was secure, and he will break me in pieces: and he seized upon my neck and he will disperse me, and he will set me up to him for a mark: ¹³ His multitudes will surround upon me, he will cleave my reins asunder, and not spare; he will pour my gall upon the earth. ¹⁴ He will break me, breaking upon the face of breaking; he will run upon me as the strong one.

¹⁵ I sewed together sackcloth upon my skin, and I thrust my horn into the dust. ¹⁶ My face became red from weeping, and upon my eye-lashes the shadow of death ¹⁷ Not for violence in my hands: and my prayer is clean.

¹⁸ O earth, thou wilt not cover my blood; and shall there not be place for my cry? ¹⁹ Also now, behold, my witness in the heavens, and my testimony in the heights. ²⁰ My friends mocking me: to God mine eye wept. ²¹ Shall he judge for a man with God? and the son of man for his neighbor? ²² When years of number shall come, and the way I shall go I shall not turn back