Job 6:1-30 - Job's Second Speech: A Response To Eliphaz

¹ And Job made answer and said, ² If only my passion might be measured, and put into the scales against my trouble! ³ For then its weight would be more than the sand of the seas: because of this my words have been uncontrolled. ⁴ For the arrows of the Ruler of all are present with me, and their poison goes deep into my spirit: his army of fears is put in order against me. ⁵ Does the ass of the fields give out his voice when he has grass? or does the ox make sounds over his food? ⁶ Will a man take food which has no taste without salt? or is there any taste in the soft substance of purslain? ⁷ My soul has no desire for such things, they are as disease in my food.

⁸ If only I might have an answer to my prayer, and God would give me my desire! ⁹ If only he would be pleased to put an end to me; and would let loose his hand, so that I might be cut off! ¹⁰ So I would still have comfort, and I would have joy in the pains of death, for I have not been false to the words of the Holy One.

¹¹ Have I strength to go on waiting, or have I any end to be looking forward to? ¹² Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh brass? ¹³ I have no help in myself, and wisdom is completely gone from me.

¹⁴ He whose heart is shut against his friend has given up the fear of the Ruler of all. ¹⁵ My friends have been false like a stream, like streams in the valleys which come to an end: ¹⁶ Which are dark because of the ice, and the snow falling into them; ¹⁷ Under the burning sun they are cut off, and come to nothing because of the heat. ¹⁸ The camel-trains go out of their way; they go up into the waste and come to destruction. ¹⁹ The camel-trains of Tema were searching with care, the bands of Sheba were waiting for them: ²⁰ They were put to shame because of their hope; they came and their hope was gone. ²¹ So have you now become to me; you see my sad condition and are in fear. ²² Did I say, Give me something? or, Make a payment for me out of your wealth? ²³ Or, Get me out of the power of my hater? or, Give money so that I may be free from the power of the cruel ones?

²⁴ Give me teaching and I will be quiet; and make me see my error. ²⁵ How pleasing are upright words! but what force is there in your arguments? ²⁶ My words may seem wrong to you, but the words of him who has no hope are for the wind. ²⁷ Truly, you are such as would give up the child of a dead man to his creditors, and would make a profit out of your friend.

²⁸ Now then, let your eyes be turned to me, for truly I will not say what is false to your face. ²⁹ Let your minds be changed, and do not have an evil opinion of me; yes, be changed, for my righteousness is still in me. ³⁰ Is there evil in my tongue? is not the cause of my trouble clear to me?

¹ Has not man his ordered time of trouble on the earth? and are not his days like the days of a servant working for payment? ² As a servant desiring the shades of evening, and a workman looking for his payment: ³ So I have for my heritage months of pain to no purpose, and nights of weariness are given to me. ⁴ When I go to my bed, I say, When will it be time to get up? but the night is long, and I am turning from side to side till morning light. ⁵ My flesh is covered with worms and dust; my skin gets hard and then is cracked again.

⁶ My days go quicker than the cloth-worker's thread, and come to an end without hope. ⁷ O, keep in mind that my life is wind: my eye will never again see good. ⁸ The eye of him who sees me will see me no longer: your eyes will be looking for me, but I will be gone. ⁹ A cloud comes to an end and is gone; so he who goes down into the underworld comes not up again. ¹⁰ He will not come back to his house, and his place will have no more knowledge of him.

¹¹ So I will not keep my mouth shut; I will let the words come from it in the pain of my spirit, my soul will make a bitter outcry. ¹² Am I a sea, or a sea-beast, that you put a watch over me? ¹³ When I say, In my bed I will have comfort, there I will get rest from my disease; ¹⁴ Then you send dreams to me, and visions of fear; ¹⁵ So that a hard death seems better to my soul than my pains. ¹⁶ I have no desire for life, I would not be living for ever! Keep away from me, for my days are as a breath.

¹⁷ What is man, that you have made him great, and that your attention is fixed on him, ¹⁸ And that your hand is on him every morning, and that you are testing him every minute? ¹⁹ How long will it be before your eyes are turned away from me, so that I may have a minute's breathing-space? ²⁰ If I have done wrong, what have I done to you, O keeper of men? why have you made me a mark for your blows, so that I am a weariness to myself? ²¹ And why do you not take away my sin, and let my wrongdoing be ended? for now I go down to the dust, and you will be searching for me with care, but I will be gone.