Job 19
1 Then Job answered and said,
2 How long will ye vex my soul, And break me in pieces with words?
3 These ten times have ye reproached me: Ye are not ashamed that ye deal hardly with me.
4 And be it indeed that I have erred, Mine error remaineth with myself.
5 If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, And plead against me my reproach;
6 Know now that God hath subverted me in my cause, And hath compassed me with his net.
7 Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry for help, but there is no justice.
8 He hath walled up my way that I cannot pass, And hath set darkness in my paths.
9 He hath stripped me of my glory, And taken the crown from my head.
10 He hath broken me down on every side, and I am gone; And my hope hath he plucked up like a tree.
11 He hath also kindled his wrath against me, And he counteth me unto him as one of his adversaries.
12 His troops come on together, And cast up their way against me, And encamp round about my tent.
13 He hath put my brethren far from me, And mine acquaintance are wholly estranged from me.
14 My kinsfolk have failed, And my familiar friends have forgotten me.
15 They that dwell in my house, and my maids, count me for a stranger; I am an alien in their sight.
16 I call unto my servant, and he giveth me no answer, Though I entreat him with my mouth.
17 My breath is strange to my wife, And my supplication to the children of mine own mother.
18 Even young children despise me; If I arise, they speak against me.
19 All my familiar friends abhor me, And they whom I loved are turned against me.
20 My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, And I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.
21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; For the hand of God hath touched me.
22 Why do ye persecute me as God, And are not satisfied with my flesh?
23 Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
24 That with an iron pen and lead They were graven in the rock for ever!
25 But as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth, And at last he will stand up upon the earth:
26 And after my skin, even this body, is destroyed, Then without my flesh shall I see God;
27 Whom I, even I, shall see, on my side, And mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger. My heart is consumed within me.
28 If ye say, How we will persecute him! And that the root of the matter is found in me;
29 Be ye afraid of the sword: For wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, That ye may know there is a judgment.
Job 19
Job’s Reply to Bildad
1 Then Job answered:
2 “How long will you torment met
and crusht me with your words?t
3 These ten timess you have been reproaching me;t
you are not ashamed to attack me!t
4 But even if it weret true that I have erred,t
my errort remains solely my concern!
5 If indeedt you would exalt yourselvest above me
and plead my disgrace against me,s
6 knowt then that God has wronged met
and encircledt me with his net.t
Job’s Abandonment and Affliction
7 “Ift I cry out,s ‘Violence!’t
I receive no answer;t
I cry for help,
but there is no justice.
8 He has blockedt my way so I cannot pass,
and has set darknesst over my paths.
9 He has stripped me of my honor
and has taken the crown off my head.s
10 He tears me downt on every side until I perish;t
he uprootst my hopet like one uprootst a tree.
11 Thust his anger burns against me,
and he considers me among his enemies.t
12 His troopss advance together;
they throw upt a siege ramp against me,
and they camp around my tent.
Job’s Forsaken State
13 “He has put my relativest far from me;
my acquaintances onlyt turn away from me.
14 My kinsmen have failed me;
my friendst have forgotten me.t
15 My guestst and my servant girls
considert me a stranger;
I am a foreignert in their eyes.
16 I summont my servant, but he does not respond,
even though I imploret him with my own mouth.
17 My breath is repulsivet to my wife;
I am loathsomet to my brothers.t
18 Even youngsters have scorned me;
when I get up,s they scoff at me.t
19 All my closest friendst detest me;
and those whomt I love have turned against me.t
20 My bones stick to my skin and my flesh;t
I have escapedt alivet with only the skin of my teeth.
21 Have pity on me, my friends, have pity on me,
for the hand of God has struck me.
22 Why do you pursue me like God does?s
Will you never be satiated with my flesh?s
Job’s Assurance of Vindication
23 “O thatt my words were written down,
O that they were written on a scroll,t
24 that with an iron chisel and with leads
they were engraved in a rock forever!
25 As for me, I know that my Redeemert lives,
and that as the lastt
he will stand upon the earth.t
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,t
yet in my flesht I will see God,t
27 whom I will see for myself,t
and whom my own eyes will behold,
and not another.t
My heartt grows faint within me.t
28 If you say, ‘How we will pursue him,
since the root of the trouble is found in him!’s
29 Fear the sword yourselves,
for wratht brings the punishmentt by the sword,
so that you may know
that there is judgment.”s