Job 19

Chapter 19

Job’s Sixth Speech: A Response to Bildad

1 Then Job spoke again:
2 “How long will you torture me?
How long will you try to crush me with your words?3 You have already insulted me ten times.
You should be ashamed of treating me so badly.4 Even if I have sinned,
that is my concern, not yours.5 You think you’re better than I am,
using my humiliation as evidence of my sin.6 But it is God who has wronged me,
capturing me in his net.t7 “I cry out, ‘Help!’ but no one answers me.
I protest, but there is no justice.8 God has blocked my way so I cannot move.
He has plunged my path into darkness.9 He has stripped me of my honor
and removed the crown from my head.10 He has demolished me on every side, and I am finished.
He has uprooted my hope like a fallen tree.11 His fury burns against me;
he counts me as an enemy.12 His troops advance.
They build up roads to attack me.
They camp all around my tent.13 “My relatives stay far away,
and my friends have turned against me.14 My family is gone,
and my close friends have forgotten me.15 My servants and maids consider me a stranger.
I am like a foreigner to them.16 When I call my servant, he doesn’t come;
I have to plead with him!17 My breath is repulsive to my wife.
I am rejected by my own family.18 Even young children despise me.
When I stand to speak, they turn their backs on me.19 My close friends detest me.
Those I loved have turned against me.20 I have been reduced to skin and bones
and have escaped death by the skin of my teeth.21 “Have mercy on me, my friends, have mercy,
for the hand of God has struck me.22 Must you also persecute me, like God does?
Haven’t you chewed me up enough?23 “Oh, that my words could be recorded.
Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument,24 carved with an iron chisel and filled with lead,
engraved forever in the rock.25 “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
and he will stand upon the earth at last.26 And after my body has decayed,
yet in my body I will see God!t27 I will see him for myself.
Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.
I am overwhelmed at the thought!28 “How dare you go on persecuting me,
saying, ‘It’s his own fault’?29 You should fear punishment yourselves,
for your attitude deserves punishment.
Then you will know that there is indeed 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