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Job 19
Common English Bible
Job 19
Common English Bible
Failed friendship
19 Then Job responded:
2 How long will you harass me
and crush me with words?
3 These ten times you’ve humiliated me;
shamelessly you insult me.
4 Have I really gone astray?
If so, my error remains hidden inside me.
5 If you look down on me
and use my disgrace to criticize me,
6 know then that God has wronged me
and enclosed his net over me.
God’s treatment of Job
7 If I cry “Violence!” I’m not answered;
I shout—but there is no justice.
8 He walled up my path so I can’t pass
and put darkness on my trail,
9 stripped my honor from me,
removed the crown from my head,
10 tore me down completely so that I’ll die, and uprooted my hope like a tree.
11 His anger burns against me;
he considers me his enemy.
12 His troops come as one
and construct their siege ramp[a] against me;
they camp around my tent.
Social ostracism
13 He has distanced my family from me;
my acquaintances are also alienated from me.
14 My visitors have ceased;
those who know me have forgotten me.
15 My guests and female servants think me a stranger;
I’m a foreigner in their sight.
16 I call my servant, and he doesn’t answer;
I myself must beg him.
17 My breath stinks to my wife;
I am odious to my children.
18 Even the young despise me;
I get up, and they rail against me.
19 All my closest friends despise me;
the ones I have loved turn against me.
Misery
20 My bones cling to my skin and flesh;
I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.
21 Pity me. Pity me. You’re my friends.
God’s hand has truly struck me.
22 Why do you pursue me like God does,
always hungry for my flesh?
Brief hope
23 Oh, that my words were written down,
inscribed on a scroll
24 with an iron instrument and lead,
forever engraved on stone.
25 But I know that my redeemer[b] is alive
and afterward he’ll rise upon the dust.
26 After my skin has been torn apart this way—
then from my flesh[c] I’ll see God,
27 whom I’ll see myself—
my eyes see,[d] and not a stranger’s.
I am utterly dejected.
Warning
28 You say, “How will we pursue him
so that the root of the matter can be found in him?”[e]
29 You ought to fear the sword yourselves,
for wrath brings punishment by the sword.
You should know that there is judgment.
Job 19
New King James Version
Job 19
New King James Version
Job Trusts in His Redeemer
19 Then Job answered and said:
2 “How long will you torment my soul,
And break me in pieces with words?
3 These ten times you have [a]reproached me;
You are not ashamed that you [b]have wronged me.
4 And if indeed I have erred,
My error remains with me.
5 If indeed you (A)exalt yourselves against me,
And plead my disgrace against me,
6 Know then that (B)God has wronged me,
And has surrounded me with His net.
7 “If I cry out concerning [c]wrong, I am not heard.
If I cry aloud, there is no justice.
8 (C)He has [d]fenced up my way, so that I cannot pass;
And He has set darkness in my paths.
9 (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.”
Job 19
English Standard Version
Job 19
English Standard Version
Job Replies: My Redeemer Lives
19 Then Job answered and said:
2 “How long will you torment me
and break me in pieces with words?
3 These (A)ten times you have cast reproach upon me;
are you not ashamed to wrong me?
4 And even if it be true that I have erred,
my error remains with myself.
5 If indeed you (B)magnify yourselves against me
and make my disgrace an argument against me,
6 know then that God has (C)put me in the wrong
and closed his net about me.
7 Behold, I (D)cry out, ‘Violence!’ but I am not answered;
I call for help, but there is no justice.
8 He has (E)walled up my way, so that I cannot pass,
and he has set darkness upon my paths.
9 He has (F)stripped from me my glory
and taken the (G)crown from my head.
10 He breaks me down on every side, and I (H)am gone,
and my hope has he pulled up like a tree.
11 He has kindled his wrath against me
and (I)counts me as his adversary.
12 His (J)troops come on together;
they have (K)cast up their siege ramp[a] against me
and encamp around my tent.
13 “He has put my (L)brothers far from me,
and (M)those who knew me are wholly estranged from me.
14 My relatives (N)have failed me,
my close (O)friends have forgotten me.
15 The guests (P)in my house and my maidservants count me as a stranger;
I have become a foreigner in their eyes.
16 I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer;
I must plead with him with my mouth for mercy.
17 My breath is strange to my (Q)wife,
and I am a stench to the children of (R)my own mother.
18 Even young (S)children despise me;
when I rise they talk against me.
19 All my (T)intimate friends abhor me,
and those whom I loved have turned against me.
20 My (U)bones stick to my skin and to my flesh,
and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.
21 Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O you my friends,
for the hand of God has (V)touched me!
22 Why do you, like God, (W)pursue me?
Why are you not satisfied with my flesh?
23 “Oh that my words were written!
Oh that they were (X)inscribed in a book!
24 Oh that with an iron (Y)pen and lead
they were engraved in the rock forever!
25 For I (Z)know that my (AA)Redeemer lives,
and at the last he will stand upon the (AB)earth.[b]
26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed,
yet in[c] my flesh I shall (AC)see God,
27 whom I shall see for myself,
and my eyes shall behold, and not (AD)another.
My heart (AE)faints within me!
28 If you say, ‘How we will (AF)pursue him!’
and, ‘The root of the matter is found in him,’[d]
29 be afraid of the sword,
for wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
that you may know there is (AG)a judgment.”
Job 19
New International Version
Job 19
New International Version
Job
19 Then Job replied:
2 “How long will you torment(A) me
and crush(B) me with words?
3 Ten times(C) now you have reproached(D) me;
shamelessly you attack me.
4 If it is true that I have gone astray,
my error(E) remains my concern alone.
5 If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me(F)
and use my humiliation against me,
6 then know that God has wronged me(G)
and drawn his net(H) around me.(I)
7 “Though I cry, ‘Violence!’ I get no response;(J)
though I call for help,(K) there is no justice.(L)
8 He has blocked my way so I cannot pass;(M)
he has shrouded my paths in darkness.(N)
9 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!
Footnotes
- Job 19:20 Or only by my gums
- Job 19:24 Or and
- Job 19:25 Or vindicator
- Job 19:25 Or on my grave
- Job 19:26 Or And after I awake, / though this body has been destroyed, / then
- Job 19:26 Or destroyed, / apart from
- Job 19:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts me
- Job 19:29 Or sword, / that you may come to know the Almighty
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.