“Is my strength and endurance that of stones,
Or is my flesh made of bronze?

“Is it that I have no help within myself,
And that success and wisdom have been driven from me?

“My brothers have acted deceitfully like a brook,
Like the torrents of brooks that vanish,

“The paths of their course wind along,
They go up into nothing and perish.
[Your counsel is as helpful to me as a dry streambed in the heat of summer.]

“Indeed, you have now become like a dried-up stream,
You see a terror [believing me to be a victim of the wrath of God] and are afraid [to be compassionate].

“Did I ever say, ‘Give me something,’
Or, ‘Pay a bribe for me from your wealth,’

Or, ‘Rescue me from the adversary’s hand,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?

“Teach me, and I will be silent;
And show me how I have erred.

“Now please look at me,
And see if I lie to your face [for you know that I would not].

“Turn away [from your suspicion], let there be no injustice;
Turn away, my righteousness and vindication is still in it.

“Is there injustice or malice on my tongue?
Can my palate not discern what is destructive?

So am I allotted months of futility and suffering,
And [long] nights of trouble and misery are appointed to me.

“My body is clothed with worms and a crust of dust;
My skin is hardened [and broken and loathsome], and [breaks out and] runs.

“My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,
And are spent without hope.

“Remember that my life is but breath [a puff of wind, a sigh];
My eye will not see good again.

“The eye of him who sees me [now] will see me no more;
Your eyes will be upon me, but I will not be.

“Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit,
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul [O Lord].

“Am I the sea, or the sea monster,
That You set a guard over me?

“When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,
My couch will ease my complaint,’

Then You frighten me with dreams
And terrify me through visions,

So that I would choose suffocation,
Death rather than my pain.

“I waste away and loathe my life; I will not live forever.
Let me alone, for my days are but a breath [futile and without substance].

“Will You never turn Your gaze away from me [it plagues me],
Nor let me alone until I swallow my spittle?

“If I have sinned, what [harm] have I done to You,
O Watcher of mankind?
Why have You set me as a target for You,
So that I am a burden to myself?

“Why then do You not pardon my transgression
And take away my sin and guilt?
For now I will lie down in the dust;
And You will seek me [diligently], but I will not be.”

“Behold, He passes by me, and I do not see Him;
He moves past me, but I do not perceive Him.

“How can I answer Him [and plead my case],
Choosing my words [to reason] with Him?

For though I were righteous, I could not answer.
I must appeal for mercy to my Opponent and Judge.

“If I called and He answered me,
I could not believe that He was listening to my voice.

“For He bruises me with a tempest
And multiplies my wounds without cause.

“He will not allow me to catch my breath,
But fills and saturates me with bitterness.

“If it is a matter of strength and power, behold, He is mighty!
And if of justice, who can summon and challenge Him?

“Though I am innocent and in the right, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty;
Though I am blameless, He would denounce me as guilty.

“[Though] I am blameless,
I do not care about myself;
I despise my life.

“Now my days are swifter than a runner;
They vanish, they see no good.

“If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,
I will leave off my sad appearance, and be cheerful and brighten up,’

I am afraid of all my pains and worries [yet to come];
I know that You will not acquit me and leave me unpunished.

“If I were to wash myself with snow
And cleanse my hands with lye,

You would still plunge me into the pit,
And my own clothes would hate me [and refuse to cover my foul body].

“Let Him take His rod away from me,
And let not the dread and fear of Him terrify me.

“Then I would speak [my defense] and not fear Him;
But I am not like that in myself.

“I am disgusted with my life and loathe it!
I will give free expression to my complaint;
I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

“I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me [and declare me guilty]!
Show me why You contend and argue and struggle with me.

That You seek my guilt
And search for my sin?

‘Although You know that I am not guilty or wicked,
Yet there is no one who can rescue me from Your hand.

‘Your hands have formed and made me altogether.
Would You [turn around and] destroy me?

‘Remember now, that You have made me as clay;
So will You turn me into dust again?

‘Have You not poured me out like milk
And curdled me like cheese?

‘[You have] clothed me with skin and flesh,
And knit me together with bones and sinews.

‘You have granted me life and lovingkindness;
And Your providence (divine care, supervision) has preserved my spirit.

‘Yet these [present evils] You have hidden in Your heart [since my creation]:
I know that this was within You [in Your purpose and thought].

‘If I sin, then You would take note and observe me,
And You would not acquit me of my guilt.

‘If I am wicked, woe to me [for judgment comes]!
And if I am righteous, I dare not lift up my head.
For I am sated and filled with disgrace and the sight of my misery.

‘Should I lift my head up, You would hunt me like a lion;
And again You would show Your marvelous power against me.

‘You renew Your witnesses against me
And increase Your indignation and anger toward me;
Hardship after hardship is with me [attacking me time after time].

‘Why then did You bring me out of the womb?
Would that I had perished and no eye had seen me!

“Would He not let my few days alone,
Withdraw from me that I may have a little cheer

“For you have said, ‘My teaching (doctrine) [that God knowingly afflicts the righteous] is pure,
And I am innocent in your eyes.’

[Job continued:] “Behold, my eye has seen all this,
My ear has heard and understood it.

“But I wish to speak to the Almighty,
And I desire to argue with God.

“But you smear me with lies [you defame my character most untruthfully];
You are all worthless physicians and have no remedy to offer.

“Please hear my argument
And listen to the pleadings of my lips.

“Will you show partiality for Him [and be unjust to me so that you may gain favor with Him]?
Will you contend and plead for God?

“Will it be well for you when He investigates you [and your tactics against me]?
Or will you deceive Him as one deceives a man?

“Be silent before me so that I may speak;
And let happen to me what may.

“Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
And put my life in my hands [incurring the wrath of God]?

“Even though He kills me;
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless, I will argue my ways to His face.

“This also will be my salvation,
For a godless man may not come before Him.

“Listen diligently to my speech,
And let my declaration fill your ears.

“Behold now, I have prepared my case;
I know that I will be vindicated.

“Who will argue and contend with me?
For then I would be silent and die.

“Only [O Lord,] do not do two things to me,
And then I will not hide myself from Your face:

Withdraw Your hand from me and remove this bodily suffering,
And let not the dread of You terrify me.

“Then [Lord,] call, and I will answer;
Or let me speak, and then reply to me.

“How many are my iniquities and sins [that so much sorrow should come to me]?
Make me recognize and understand my transgression and my sin.

“Why do You hide Your face [as if offended]
And consider me Your enemy?

“For You write bitter things against me [in Your indictment]
And make me inherit and suffer for the iniquities of my youth.

“You also put my feet in the stocks [as punishment]
And [critically] observe all my paths;
You set a circle and limit around the soles of my feet [which I must not overstep],

“You also open Your eyes upon him
And bring him into judgment with Yourself.

“Oh, that You would hide me in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead),
That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past,
That You would set a definite time and then remember me [and in Your lovingkindness imprint me on your heart]!

“If a man dies, will he live again?
I will wait all the days of my struggle
Until my change and release will come.

“[Then] You will call, and I will answer You;
You will long for [me] the work of Your hands.

“But now You number [each of] my steps;
You do not observe nor take note of my sin.

“My transgression is sealed up in a bag,
And You cover my wickedness [from Your view].

“I will tell you, listen to me;
And what I have seen I will also declare;

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

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

“[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.

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

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

“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].

“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.

“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.

“God hands me over to criminals
And tosses me [headlong] into the hands of the wicked.

“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.

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

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

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

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

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