Job 16

¹ Then Job answered, and said,

² “I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.

³ Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth you that ye answer?

⁴ I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap words together against you, and shake mine head at you.

⁵ But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should assuage your grief.

⁶ Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?

⁷ But now he hath made me weary: you hunt me as God, and yet I shall not perish.

⁸ O that my words were now written! O that they were printed in a book!

⁹ That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!

¹⁰ For I know that my redeemer lives, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

¹¹ And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

¹² Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

¹³ But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

¹⁴ Behold, God hath wronged me, and shut up his net in the face thereof.

¹⁵ Behold, he hath taken away my judgment; and who shall declare to me what he doeth?

¹⁶ I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.

¹⁷ My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

¹⁸ Although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.

¹⁹ O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.

²⁰ Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.

²¹ My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.

²² O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!