Job 19

Job Replies: My Redeemer Lives

1 Then Job answered and said:

2  "How long will you torment me
and break me in pieces with words?
3  These ten times you have cast reproach upon me;
are you not ashamed to wrong me?
4  And even if it be true that I have erred,
my error remains with myself.
5  If indeed you magnify yourselves against me
and make my disgrace an argument against me,
6  know then that God has put me in the wrong
and closed his net about me.
7  Behold, I cry out, 'Violence!' but I am not answered;
I call for help, but there is no justice.
8  He has walled up my way, so that I cannot pass,
and he has set darkness upon my paths.
9  He has stripped from me my glory
and taken the crown from my head.
10  He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone,
and my hope has he pulled up like a tree.
11  He has kindled his wrath against me
and counts me as his adversary.
12  His troops come on together;
they have cast up their siege rampt against me
and encamp around my tent.

13  "He has put my brothers far from me,
and those who knew me are wholly estranged from me.
14  My relatives have failed me,
my close friends have forgotten me.
15  The guests in my house and my maidservants count me as a stranger;
I have become a foreigner in their eyes.
16  I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer;
I must plead with him with my mouth for mercy.
17  My breath is strange to my wife,
and I am a stench to the children of my own mother.
18  Even young children despise me;
when I rise they talk against me.
19  All my intimate friends abhor me,
and those whom I loved have turned against me.
20  My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh,
and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.
21  Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O you my friends,
for the hand of God has touched me!
22  Why do you, like God, pursue me?
Why are you not satisfied with my flesh?

23  "Oh that my words were written!
Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
24  Oh that with an iron pen and lead
they were engraved in the rock forever!
25  For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the last he will stand upon the earth.t
26  And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
yet int my flesh I shall see God,
27  whom I shall see for myself,
and my eyes shall behold, and not another.
My heart faints within me!
28  If you say, 'How we will pursue him!'
and, 'The root of the matter is found in him,'
29  be afraid of the sword,
for wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
that you 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