Job 16

New King James Version

² “I have heard many such things;
^(A)Miserable^[a]comfortersareyou all!
³ Shall^[b]words of wind have an end?
Or what provokes you that you answer?
⁴ I also could speak as youdo,
If your soul were in my soul’s place.
I could heap up words against you,
And^(B)shake my head at you;
⁵ ButI would strengthen you with my mouth,
And the comfort of my lips would relieveyour grief.

⁶ “Though I speak, my grief is not relieved;
AndifI remain silent, how am I eased?
⁷ But now He has^(C)worn me out;
You^(D)have made desolate all my company.
⁸ You have shriveled me up,
And it is a^(E)witnessagainst me;
My leanness rises up against me
Andbears witness to my face.
^9 (F)He tearsmein His wrath, and hates me;
He gnashes at me with His teeth;
^(G)My adversary sharpens His gaze on me.
¹⁰ They^(H)gape at me with their mouth,
They^(I)strike me reproachfully on the cheek,
They gather together against me.
¹¹ God^(J)has delivered me to the ungodly,
And turned me over to the hands of the wicked.
¹² I was at ease, but He has^(K)shattered me;
He also has takenmeby my neck, and shaken me to pieces;
He has^(L)set me up for His target,
¹³ His archers surround me.
He pierces my^[c]heart and does not pity;
He pours out my gall on the ground.
¹⁴ He breaks me with wound upon wound;
He runs at me like a^[d]warrior.

¹⁵ “I have sewn sackcloth over my skin,
And^(M)laid my^[e]head in the dust.
¹⁶ My face is^[f]flushed from weeping,
And on my eyelidsisthe shadow of death;
¹⁷ Although no violenceisin my hands,
And my prayerispure.

¹⁸ “O earth, do not cover my blood,
And^(N)let my cry have norestingplace!
¹⁹ Surely even now^(O)my witnessisin heaven,
And my evidenceison high.
²⁰ My friends scorn me;
My eyes pour outtearsto God.
^21 (P)Oh, that one might plead for a man with God,
As a manpleadsfor his^[g]neighbor!
²² For when a few years are finished,
I shall^(Q)go the way of no return.