Job 16 - Julia E. Smith Translation 1876

¹ And Job will answer and say,

² I heard many like there: comforters of vexation ye all.

³ Was there an end to words of wind? or what will provoke thee that thou wilt answer?

⁴ Also I will speak as you: if it is your soul instead of my soul, I will join together with words against you, and shake my head against you upon it

⁵ I will strengthen you with my month, the moving of my lips shall hold back

⁶ If I shall speak, my pain will not be held back, and shall I cease, what will go from me?

⁷ But now he made me weary: thou hast made desolate all mine assembly.

⁸ Thou wilt lay fast hold on me to be for a testimony, and my leanness will rise up in me; it will answer against my face.

⁹ He rent in his anger, and he will lie in wait for me, gnashing upon me with his teeth; mine enemy will sharpen his eyes against me.

¹⁰ They gaped upon me with their mouth; with reproach they struck upon my cheek; they will fill out together against me.

¹¹ God will shut me up to the evil one, and he will cast me into the hands of the unjust

¹² I was secure, and he will break me in pieces: and he seized upon my neck and he will disperse me, and he will set me up to him for a mark:

¹³ His multitudes will surround upon me, he will cleave my reins asunder, and not spare; he will pour my gall upon the earth.

¹⁴ He will break me, breaking upon the face of breaking; he will run upon me as the strong one.

¹⁵ I sewed together sackcloth upon my skin, and I thrust my horn into the dust.

¹⁶ My face became red from weeping, and upon my eye-lashes the shadow of death

¹⁷ Not for violence in my hands: and my prayer is clean.

¹⁸ O earth, thou wilt not cover my blood; and shall there not be place for my cry?

¹⁹ Also now, behold, my witness in the heavens, and my testimony in the heights.

²⁰ My friends mocking me: to God mine eye wept.

²¹ Shall he judge for a man with God? and the son of man for his neighbor?

²² When years of number shall come, and the way I shall go I shall not turn back