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17 My spirit is consumed, my days are extinct,
The grave is ready for me.
Surely there are [a]mockers with me,
And mine eye dwelleth upon their provocation.

Give now a pledge, be surety for me with thyself;
Who is there that will strike hands with me?
For thou hast hid their heart from understanding:
Therefore shalt thou not exalt them.
He that denounceth his friends for a [b]prey,
Even the eyes of his children shall fail.

But he hath made me a byword of the people;
And they spit in my face.
Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow,
And all my members are as a shadow.
Upright men shall be astonished at this,
And the innocent shall stir up himself against the godless.
Yet shall the righteous hold on his way,
And he that hath clean hands shall wax stronger and stronger.
10 But as for you all, come on now again;
[c]And I shall not find a wise man among you.
11 My days are past, my purposes are broken off,
Even the [d]thoughts of my heart.
12 They change the night into day:
The light, say they, is near [e]unto the darkness.
13 If I [f]look for Sheol as my house;
If I have spread my couch in the darkness;
14 If I have said to [g]corruption, Thou art my father;
To the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister;
15 Where then is my hope?
And as for my hope, who shall see it?
16 It shall go down to the bars of Sheol,
When once there is rest in the dust.

18 Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

How long will ye hunt for words?
Consider, and afterwards we will speak.
Wherefore are we counted as beasts,
And are become unclean in your sight?
Thou that tearest thyself in thine anger,
Shall the earth be forsaken for thee?
Or shall the rock be removed out of its place?

Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out,
And the [h]spark of his fire shall not shine.
The light shall be dark in his tent,
And his lamp [i]above him shall be put out.
The steps of his strength shall be straitened,
And his own counsel shall cast him down.
For he is cast into a net by his own feet,
And he walketh upon the toils.
A gin shall take him by the heel,
And a snare shall lay hold on him.
10 A noose is hid for him in the ground,
And a trap for him in the way.
11 Terrors shall make him afraid on every side,
And shall chase him at his heels.
12 His strength shall be hunger-bitten,
And calamity shall be ready [j]at his side.
13 The [k]members of his body shall be devoured,
Yea, the first-born of death shall devour his members.
14 He shall be rooted out of his tent wherein he trusteth;
And [l]he shall be brought to the king of terrors.
15 [m]There shall dwell in his tent that which is none of his:
Brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.
16 His roots shall be dried up beneath,
And above shall his branch [n]be cut off.
17 His remembrance shall perish from the earth,
And he shall have no name in the street.
18 He shall be driven from light into darkness,
And chased out of the world.
19 He shall have neither son nor son’s son among his people,
Nor any remaining where he sojourned.
20 [o]They that come after shall be astonished at his day,
As they that went before [p]were affrighted.
21 Surely such are the dwellings of the unrighteous,
And this is the place of him that knoweth not God.

19 Then Job answered and said,

How long will ye vex my soul,
And break me in pieces with words?
These ten times have ye reproached me:
Ye are not ashamed that ye deal hardly with me.
And be it indeed that I have erred,
Mine error remaineth with myself.
[q]If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me,
And plead against me my reproach;
Know now that God hath [r]subverted me in my cause,
And hath compassed me with his net.

Behold, I [s]cry out of wrong, but I am not heard:
I cry for help, but there is no justice.
He hath walled up my way that I cannot pass,
And hath set darkness in my paths.
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 [t]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 [u]my supplication to the children [v]of mine own mother.
18 Even young children despise me;
If I arise, they speak against me.
19 All [w]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 [x]But as for me I know that my [y]Redeemer liveth,
And at last he will stand up upon the [z]earth:
26 [aa]And after my skin, even this body, is destroyed,
Then without my flesh shall I see God;
27 Whom I, even I, shall see, [ab]on my side,
And mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger.
My [ac]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 [ad]wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword,
That ye may know there is a judgment.

Footnotes

  1. Job 17:2 Hebrew mockery.
  2. Job 17:5 Hebrew portion.
  3. Job 17:10 Or, For I find not
  4. Job 17:11 Hebrew possessions.
  5. Job 17:12 Or, because of
  6. Job 17:13 Or, hope, Sheol is my house; I have spread . . . I have said . . . And where now is my hope?
  7. Job 17:14 Or, the pit
  8. Job 18:5 Or, flame
  9. Job 18:6 Or, beside
  10. Job 18:12 Or, for his halting
  11. Job 18:13 Hebrew bars of his skin.
  12. Job 18:14 Hebrew it shall (or thou shalt) bring him.
  13. Job 18:15 Or, It shall dwell in his tent, that it be no more his (or, because it is none of his)
  14. Job 18:16 Or, wither
  15. Job 18:20 Or, They that dwell in the west are . . . as they that well in the east are etc.
  16. Job 18:20 Hebrew laid hold on horror.
  17. Job 19:5 Or, Will ye indeed . . . reproach?
  18. Job 19:6 Or, overthrown me
  19. Job 19:7 Or, cry out, Violence!
  20. Job 19:15 Or, sojourn
  21. Job 19:17 Or, I make supplication. Or, I am loathsome
  22. Job 19:17 Or, of my body
  23. Job 19:19 Hebrew the men of my council.
  24. Job 19:25 Or, For
  25. Job 19:25 Or, vindicator. Hebrew goel.
  26. Job 19:25 Hebrew dust.
  27. Job 19:26 Or, And after my skin hath been thus destroyed, Yet from my flesh shall I see God
  28. Job 19:27 Or, for myself
  29. Job 19:27 Hebrew reins.
  30. Job 19:29 Or, wrathful are

17 My spirit(A) is broken,
    my days are cut short,(B)
    the grave awaits me.(C)
Surely mockers(D) surround me;(E)
    my eyes must dwell on their hostility.

“Give me, O God, the pledge you demand.(F)
    Who else will put up security(G) for me?(H)
You have closed their minds to understanding;(I)
    therefore you will not let them triumph.
If anyone denounces their friends for reward,(J)
    the eyes of their children will fail.(K)

“God has made me a byword(L) to everyone,(M)
    a man in whose face people spit.(N)
My eyes have grown dim with grief;(O)
    my whole frame is but a shadow.(P)
The upright are appalled at this;
    the innocent are aroused(Q) against the ungodly.
Nevertheless, the righteous(R) will hold to their ways,
    and those with clean hands(S) will grow stronger.(T)

10 “But come on, all of you, try again!
    I will not find a wise man among you.(U)
11 My days have passed,(V) my plans are shattered.
    Yet the desires of my heart(W)
12 turn night into day;(X)
    in the face of the darkness light is near.(Y)
13 If the only home I hope for is the grave,(Z)
    if I spread out my bed(AA) in the realm of darkness,(AB)
14 if I say to corruption,(AC) ‘You are my father,’
    and to the worm,(AD) ‘My mother’ or ‘My sister,’
15 where then is my hope—(AE)
    who can see any hope for me?(AF)
16 Will it go down to the gates of death?(AG)
    Will we descend together into the dust?”(AH)

Bildad

18 Then Bildad the Shuhite(AI) replied:

“When will you end these speeches?(AJ)
    Be sensible, and then we can talk.
Why are we regarded as cattle(AK)
    and considered stupid in your sight?(AL)
You who tear yourself(AM) to pieces in your anger,(AN)
    is the earth to be abandoned for your sake?
    Or must the rocks be moved from their place?(AO)

“The lamp of a wicked man is snuffed out;(AP)
    the flame of his fire stops burning.(AQ)
The light in his tent(AR) becomes dark;(AS)
    the lamp beside him goes out.(AT)
The vigor(AU) of his step is weakened;(AV)
    his own schemes(AW) throw him down.(AX)
His feet thrust him into a net;(AY)
    he wanders into its mesh.
A trap seizes him by the heel;
    a snare(AZ) holds him fast.(BA)
10 A noose(BB) is hidden for him on the ground;
    a trap(BC) lies in his path.(BD)
11 Terrors(BE) startle him on every side(BF)
    and dog(BG) his every step.
12 Calamity(BH) is hungry(BI) for him;
    disaster(BJ) is ready for him when he falls.(BK)
13 It eats away parts of his skin;(BL)
    death’s firstborn devours his limbs.(BM)
14 He is torn from the security of his tent(BN)
    and marched off to the king(BO) of terrors.(BP)
15 Fire resides[a] in his tent;(BQ)
    burning sulfur(BR) is scattered over his dwelling.
16 His roots dry up below(BS)
    and his branches wither above.(BT)
17 The memory of him perishes from the earth;(BU)
    he has no name(BV) in the land.(BW)
18 He is driven from light into the realm of darkness(BX)
    and is banished(BY) from the world.(BZ)
19 He has no offspring(CA) or descendants(CB) among his people,
    no survivor(CC) where once he lived.(CD)
20 People of the west are appalled(CE) at his fate;(CF)
    those of the east are seized with horror.
21 Surely such is the dwelling(CG) of an evil man;(CH)
    such is the place(CI) of one who does not know God.”(CJ)

Job

19 Then Job replied:

“How long will you torment(CK) me
    and crush(CL) me with words?
Ten times(CM) now you have reproached(CN) me;
    shamelessly you attack me.
If it is true that I have gone astray,
    my error(CO) remains my concern alone.
If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me(CP)
    and use my humiliation against me,
then know that God has wronged me(CQ)
    and drawn his net(CR) around me.(CS)

“Though I cry, ‘Violence!’ I get no response;(CT)
    though I call for help,(CU) there is no justice.(CV)
He has blocked my way so I cannot pass;(CW)
    he has shrouded my paths in darkness.(CX)
He has stripped(CY) me of my honor(CZ)
    and removed the crown from my head.(DA)
10 He tears me down(DB) on every side till I am gone;
    he uproots my hope(DC) like a tree.(DD)
11 His anger(DE) burns against me;
    he counts me among his enemies.(DF)
12 His troops advance in force;(DG)
    they build a siege ramp(DH) against me
    and encamp around my tent.(DI)

13 “He has alienated my family(DJ) from me;
    my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.(DK)
14 My relatives have gone away;
    my closest friends(DL) have forgotten me.
15 My guests(DM) and my female servants(DN) count me a foreigner;
    they look on me as on a stranger.
16 I summon my servant, but he does not answer,
    though I beg him with my own mouth.
17 My breath is offensive to my wife;
    I am loathsome(DO) to my own family.
18 Even the little boys(DP) scorn me;
    when I appear, they ridicule me.(DQ)
19 All my intimate friends(DR) detest me;(DS)
    those I love have turned against me.(DT)
20 I am nothing but skin and bones;(DU)
    I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.[b]

21 “Have pity on me, my friends,(DV) have pity,
    for the hand of God has struck(DW) me.
22 Why do you pursue(DX) me as God does?(DY)
    Will you never get enough of my flesh?(DZ)

23 “Oh, that my words were recorded,
    that they were written on a scroll,(EA)
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool(EB) on[c] lead,
    or engraved in rock forever!(EC)
25 I know that my redeemer[d](ED) lives,(EE)
    and that in the end he will stand on the earth.[e]
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
    yet[f] in[g] my flesh I will see God;(EF)
27 I myself will see him
    with my own eyes(EG)—I, and not another.
    How my heart yearns(EH) within me!

28 “If you say, ‘How we will hound(EI) him,
    since the root of the trouble lies in him,[h]
29 you should fear the sword yourselves;
    for wrath will bring punishment by the sword,(EJ)
    and then you will know that there is judgment.[i](EK)

Footnotes

  1. Job 18:15 Or Nothing he had remains
  2. Job 19:20 Or only by my gums
  3. Job 19:24 Or and
  4. Job 19:25 Or vindicator
  5. Job 19:25 Or on my grave
  6. Job 19:26 Or And after I awake, / though this body has been destroyed, / then
  7. Job 19:26 Or destroyed, / apart from
  8. Job 19:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts me
  9. Job 19:29 Or sword, / that you may come to know the Almighty