Will your idle talk reduce people to silence, and will no one rebuke you when you mock?
I am a laughingstock to my friends, I, who called on God and whom he answered – a righteous and blameless man is a laughingstock!
But you, however, are inventors of lies; all of you are worthless physicians!
Would it turn out well if he would examine you? Or as one deceives a man would you deceive him?
Surely mockery is with me; my eyes must dwell on their hostility.
Bear with me and I will speak, and after I have spoken you may mock.
“If this is not so, who can prove me a liar and reduce my words to nothing?”
What man is like Job, who drinks derision like water!
When I tripped, they taunted me relentlessly, and tried to bite me.
Cover their faces with shame, so they might seek you, O Lord.
I did not spend my time in the company of other people, laughing and having a good time. I stayed to myself because I felt obligated to you and because I was filled with anger at what they had done.
But if anyone does not obey our message through this letter, take note of him and do not associate closely with him, so that he may be ashamed.
and a sound message that cannot be criticized, so that any opponent will be at a loss, because he has nothing evil to say about us.
For they said to you, “In the end time there will come scoffers, propelled by their own ungodly desires.”