Job’s Reply to Bildad

19 Then Job answered:

How long will you torment me
and crush me with words?
You have humiliated me ten times now,
and you mistreat[a] me without shame.(A)
Even if it is true that I have sinned,
my mistake concerns only[b] me.
If you really want to appear superior(B) to me
and would use my disgrace as evidence against me,
then understand that it is God who has wronged me
and caught me in his net.(C)
I cry out, “Violence!” but get no response;(D)
I call for help, but there is no justice.
He has blocked(E) my way so that I cannot pass through;
he has veiled my paths with darkness.(F)
He has stripped me of my honor
and removed the crown from my head.
10 He tears me down on every side so that I am ruined.[c]
He uproots my hope like a tree.(G)
11 His anger(H) burns against me,
and he regards me as one of his enemies.(I)
12 His troops advance together;
they construct a ramp[d] against me
and camp(J) around my tent.
13 He has removed my brothers from me;
my acquaintances have abandoned me.(K)
14 My relatives stop coming by,
and my close friends have forgotten me.
15 My house guests[e] and female servants regard me as a stranger;
I am a foreigner in their sight.(L)
16 I call for my servant, but he does not answer,
even if I beg him with my own mouth.
17 My breath is offensive to my wife,
and my own family[f] finds me repulsive.
18 Even young boys scorn me.
When I stand up, they mock me.(M)
19 All of my best friends[g] despise me,(N)
and those I love have turned against me.(O)
20 My skin and my flesh cling to my bones;
I have escaped with only the skin of my teeth.
21 Have mercy on me, my friends,(P) have mercy,
for God’s hand(Q) has struck me.(R)
22 Why do you persecute me as God does?
Will you never get enough of my flesh?

23 I wish that my words were written down,
that they were recorded on a scroll
24 or were inscribed in stone forever
by an iron stylus and lead!
25 But I know that my Redeemer lives,[h](S)
and at the end he will stand on the dust.(T)
26 Even after my skin has been destroyed,[i]
yet I will see God in[j] my flesh.(U)
27 I will see him myself;
my eyes will look at him, and not as a stranger.[k]
My heart longs[l] within me.(V)

28 If you say, “How will we pursue him,
since the root of the problem lies with him?” [m]
29 then be afraid of the sword,
because wrath brings punishment by the sword,(W)
so that you may know there is a judgment.

Footnotes

  1. 19:3 Hb obscure
  2. 19:4 Lit mistake lives with
  3. 19:10 Lit gone
  4. 19:12 Lit they raise up their way
  5. 19:15 Or The resident aliens in my household
  6. 19:17 Lit and the sons of my belly
  7. 19:19 Lit of the men of my council
  8. 19:25 Or know my living Redeemer
  9. 19:26 Lit skin which they destroyed, or skin they destroyed in this way
  10. 19:26 Or apart from
  11. 19:27 Or not a stranger
  12. 19:27 Lit My kidneys grow faint
  13. 19:28 Some Hb mss, LXX, Vg; other Hb mss read me

19 Then Job answered,

“How long will you torment me,
    and crush me with words?
You have reproached me ten times.
    You aren’t ashamed that you attack me.
If it is true that I have erred,
    my error remains with myself.
If indeed you will magnify yourselves against me,
    and plead against me my reproach,
know now that God has subverted me,
    and has surrounded me with his net.

“Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard.
    I cry for help, but there is no justice.
He has walled up my way so that I can’t pass,
    and has set darkness in my paths.
He has stripped me of my glory,
    and taken the crown from my head.
10 He has broken me down on every side, and I am gone.
    He has plucked my hope up like a tree.
11 He has also kindled his wrath against me.
    He counts me among his adversaries.
12 His troops come on together,
    build a siege ramp against me,
    and encamp around my tent.

13 “He has put my brothers far from me.
    My acquaintances are wholly estranged from me.
14 My relatives have gone away.
    My familiar friends have forgotten me.
15 Those who dwell in my house and my maids consider me a stranger.
    I am an alien in their sight.
16 I call to my servant, and he gives me no answer.
    I beg him with my mouth.
17 My breath is offensive to my wife.
    I am loathsome to the children of my own mother.
18 Even young children despise me.
    If I arise, they speak against me.
19 All my familiar friends abhor me.
    They whom I loved have turned against me.
20 My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh.
    I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

21 “Have pity on me. Have pity on me, you my friends,
    for the hand of God has touched me.
22 Why do you 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 engraved in the rock forever!
25 But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives.
    In the end, he will stand upon the earth.
26 After my skin is destroyed,
    then I will see God in my flesh,
27 whom I, even I, will see on my side.
    My eyes will see, and not as a stranger.

“My heart is consumed within me.
28 If you say, ‘How we will persecute him!’
    because the root of the matter is found in me,
29 be afraid of the sword,
    for wrath brings the punishments of the sword,
    that you may know there is a judgment.”

Job Trusts in His Redeemer

19 Then Job answered and said:

“How long will you torment my soul,
And break me in pieces with words?
These ten times you have [a]reproached me;
You are not ashamed that you [b]have wronged me.
And if indeed I have erred,
My error remains with me.
If indeed you (A)exalt yourselves against me,
And plead my disgrace against me,
Know then that (B)God has wronged me,
And has surrounded me with His net.

“If I cry out concerning [c]wrong, I am not heard.
If I cry aloud, there is no justice.
(C)He has [d]fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass;
And He has set darkness in my paths.
(D)He has stripped me of my glory,
And taken the crown from my head.
10 He breaks me down on every side,
And I am gone;
My (E)hope He has uprooted like a tree.
11 He has also kindled His wrath against me,
And (F)He counts me as one of His enemies.
12 His troops come together
And build up their road against me;
They encamp all around my tent.

13 “He(G) has removed my brothers far from me,
And my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
14 My relatives have failed,
And my close friends have forgotten me.
15 Those who dwell in my house, and my maidservants,
Count me as a stranger;
I am an alien in their sight.
16 I call my servant, but he gives no answer;
I beg him with my mouth.
17 My breath is offensive to my wife,
And I am [e]repulsive to the children of my own body.
18 Even (H)young children despise me;
I arise, and they speak against me.
19 (I)All my close friends abhor me,
And those whom I love have turned against me.
20 (J)My bone clings to my skin and to my flesh,
And I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

21 “Have pity on me, have pity on me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God has struck me!
22 Why do you (K)persecute me as God does,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?

23 “Oh, that my words were written!
Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!
24 That they were engraved on a rock
With an iron pen and lead, forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is [f]destroyed, this I know,
That (L)in my flesh I shall see God,
27 Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my [g]heart yearns within me!
28 If you should say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’—
Since the root of the matter is found in me,
29 Be afraid of the sword for yourselves;
For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
That you may know there is a judgment.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 19:3 shamed or disgraced
  2. Job 19:3 A Jewish tradition make yourselves strange to me
  3. Job 19:7 violence
  4. Job 19:8 walled off my way
  5. Job 19:17 Lit. strange
  6. Job 19:26 Lit. struck off
  7. Job 19:27 Lit. kidneys

Job

19 Then Job replied:

“How long will you torment(A) me
    and crush(B) me with words?
Ten times(C) now you have reproached(D) me;
    shamelessly you attack me.
If it is true that I have gone astray,
    my error(E) remains my concern alone.
If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me(F)
    and use my humiliation against me,
then know that God has wronged me(G)
    and drawn his net(H) around me.(I)

“Though I cry, ‘Violence!’ I get no response;(J)
    though I call for help,(K) there is no justice.(L)
He has blocked my way so I cannot pass;(M)
    he has shrouded my paths in darkness.(N)
He has stripped(O) me of my honor(P)
    and removed the crown from my head.(Q)
10 He tears me down(R) on every side till I am gone;
    he uproots my hope(S) like a tree.(T)
11 His anger(U) burns against me;
    he counts me among his enemies.(V)
12 His troops advance in force;(W)
    they build a siege ramp(X) against me
    and encamp around my tent.(Y)

13 “He has alienated my family(Z) from me;
    my acquaintances are completely estranged from me.(AA)
14 My relatives have gone away;
    my closest friends(AB) have forgotten me.
15 My guests(AC) and my female servants(AD) 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(AE) to my own family.
18 Even the little boys(AF) scorn me;
    when I appear, they ridicule me.(AG)
19 All my intimate friends(AH) detest me;(AI)
    those I love have turned against me.(AJ)
20 I am nothing but skin and bones;(AK)
    I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.[a]

21 “Have pity on me, my friends,(AL) have pity,
    for the hand of God has struck(AM) me.
22 Why do you pursue(AN) me as God does?(AO)
    Will you never get enough of my flesh?(AP)

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

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

Footnotes

  1. Job 19:20 Or only by my gums
  2. Job 19:24 Or and
  3. Job 19:25 Or vindicator
  4. Job 19:25 Or on my grave
  5. Job 19:26 Or And after I awake, / though this body has been destroyed, / then
  6. Job 19:26 Or destroyed, / apart from
  7. Job 19:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts me
  8. Job 19:29 Or sword, / that you may come to know the Almighty