1Then Jobresponded,
2"Howlongwill you tormentme And crushme with words?
3"Thesetentimesyou have insultedme; You are not ashamedto wrongme.
4"Evenif I have trulyerred,My errorlodgeswith me.
5"Ifindeedyou vauntyourselves againstme And provemy disgraceto me,
6Knowthenthat Godhas wrongedme And has closedHis netaroundme.
7"Behold,I cry,'Violence!'but I getnoanswer;I shoutfor help,but thereis nojustice.
8"He has walledup my wayso that I cannotpass,And He has putdarknesson my paths.
9"He has strippedmy honorfrom me And removedthe crownfrom my head.
10"He breaksme downon everyside,and I am gone;And He has uprootedmy hopelike a tree.
11"He has also kindledHis angeragainstme And consideredme as His enemy.
12"His troopscometogether,And buildup their wayagainstme And camparoundmy tent.
13"He has removedmy brothersfarfrom me, And my acquaintancesare completelyestrangedfrom me.
14"My relativeshave failed,And my intimatefriendshave forgottenme.
15"Those who livein my houseand my maidsconsiderme a stranger.I ama foreignerin their sight.
16"I callto my servant,but he does not answer;I have to implorehim with my mouth.
17"My breathis offensiveto my wife,And I am loathsometo my own brothers.
18"Evenyoungchildrendespiseme; I riseup and they speakagainst me.
19"Allmy associatesabhorme, And thoseI lovehave turnedagainst me.
20"My boneclingsto my skinand my flesh,And I have escaped[only] by the skinof my teeth.
21"Pityme, pityme, O you my friends,For the handof Godhas struckme.
22"Whydo you persecuteme as God[does], And are not satisfiedwith my flesh?
23"Ohthat my wordswere written!Ohthat they were inscribedin a book!
24"That with an ironstylusand leadThey were engravedin the rockforever!
25"As for me, I knowthat my Redeemerlives,And at the lastHe will takeHis standon the earth.
26"Even aftermy skinis destroyed,Yet from my fleshI shall seeGod;
27WhomI myselfshall behold,And whom my eyeswill seeand not another.My heartfaintswithinme!
28"Ifyou say,'Howshall we persecutehim?' And 'What pretextfor a caseagainst him can we find?'
29"[Then] be afraidof the swordfor yourselves, For wrath[brings] the punishmentof the sword,Sothat you may knowthere is judgment."
