Day 39: Job 6–19

1But Job answered and said,

2Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity ^alaid in the balances together!

3For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore ^bmy words are swallowed up.

4For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.

5Doth the wild ass bray ^cwhen he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?

6Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

7The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.

8Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me ^dthe thing that I long for!

9Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!

10Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.

11What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?

12Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh ^eof brass?

13Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?

14To him that ^fis afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.

15My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away;

16Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid:

17What time they wax warm, they ^gvanish: ^hwhen it is hot, they are ⁱconsumed out of their place.

18The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish.

19The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.

20They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed.

21For now ^jye are ^knothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid.

22Did I say, Bring unto me? or, Give a reward for me of your substance?

23Or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?

24Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.

25How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?

26Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?

27Yea, ^lye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend.

28Now therefore be content, look upon me; for it is ^mevident unto you if I lie.

29Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is ⁿin it.

30Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot ^omy taste discern perverse things?

1Is there not ^aan appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?

2As a servant ^bearnestly desireth the shadow, and as an hireling looketh for the reward of his work:

3So am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

4When I lie down, I say, When shall I arise, and ^cthe night be gone? and I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

5My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome.

6My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.

7O remember that my life is wind: mine eye ^dshall no more ^esee good.

8The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more: thine eyes are upon me, and ^fI am not.

9As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.

10He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

11Therefore I will not refrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

12Am I a sea, or a whale, that thou settest a watch over me?

13When I say, My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint;

14Then thou scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions:

15So that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my ^glife.

16I loathe it; I would not live alway: let me alone; for my days are vanity.

17What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?

18And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?

19How long wilt thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

20I have sinned; what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? why hast thou set me as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden to myself?

21And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.

1Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

2How long wilt thou speak these things? and how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?

3Doth God pervert judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert justice?

4If thy children have sinned against him, and he have cast them away ^afor their transgression;

5If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;

6If thou wert pure and upright; surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

7Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

8For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:

9(For we are but of yesterday, and know ^bnothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)

10Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?

11Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water?

12Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.

13So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish:

14Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose trust shall be a spider's ^cweb.

15He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand: he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.

16He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.

17His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones.

18If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, I have not seen thee.

19Behold, this is the joy of his way, and out of the earth shall others grow.

20Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he ^dhelp the evil doers:^e

21Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with ^frejoicing.

22They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame; and the dwelling place of the wicked ^gshall come to nought.

1Then Job answered and said,

2I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just ^awith God?

3If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

4He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against him, and hath prospered?

5Which removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.

6Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.

7Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.

8Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the ^bwaves of the sea.

9Which maketh ^cArcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.

10Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.

11Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.

12Behold, he taketh away, who can ^dhinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

13If God will not withdraw his anger, the ^eproud helpers do stoop under him.

14How much less shall I answer him, and choose out my words to reason with him?

15Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my judge.

16If I had called, and he had answered me; yet would I not believe that he had hearkened unto my voice.

17For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

18He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

19If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong: and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

20If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.

21Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

22This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.

23If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

24The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he?

25Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away, they see no good.

26They are passed away as the ^fswift ships: as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.

27If I say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness, and comfort myself:

28I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

29If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?

30If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

31Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall ^gabhor me.

32For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

33Neither is there ^hany ⁱdaysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

34Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

35Then would I speak, and not fear him; but ^jit is not so with me.

1My soul is ^aweary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

2I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

3Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the ^bwork of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

4Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?

5Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days,

6That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?

7^cThou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

8Thine hands ^dhave made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

9Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

10Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

11Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast ^efenced me with bones and sinews.

12Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

13And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.

14If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

15If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;

16For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.

17Thou renewest thy ^fwitnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.

18Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!

19I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

20Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

21Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;

22A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.

1Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,

2Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man ^afull of talk be justified?

3Should thy ^blies make men hold their peace? and when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

4For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.

5But oh that God would speak, and open his lips against thee;

6And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

7Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?

8It is ^cas high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?

9The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

10If he ^dcut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can ^ehinder him?

11For he knoweth vain men: he seeth wickedness also; will he not then consider it?

12For ^fvain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt.

13If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;

14If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.

15For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear:

16Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away:

17And thine age shall ^gbe clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.

18And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.

19Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall ^hmake suit unto thee.

20But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and ⁱthey shall not escape, and their hope shall be as ^jthe giving up of the ghost.

1And Job answered and said,

2No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

3But I have ^aunderstanding as well as you; ^bI am not inferior to you: yea, ^cwho knoweth not such things as these?

4I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.

5He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

6The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

7But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

8Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

9Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?

10In whose hand is the ^dsoul of every living thing, and the breath of ^eall mankind.

11Doth not the ear try words? and the ^fmouth taste his meat?

12With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.

13^gWith him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding.

14Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth ^hup a man, and there can be no opening.

15Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

16With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.

17He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.

18He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.

19He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.

20He removeth away the ⁱspeech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.

21He poureth contempt upon princes, and ^jweakeneth the strength of the mighty.

22He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

23He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and ^kstraiteneth them again.

24He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

25They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to ^lstagger like a drunken man.

1Lo, mine eye hath seen all this, mine ear hath heard and understood it.

2What ye know, the same do I know also: I am not inferior unto you.

3Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

4But ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value.

5O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.

6Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.

7Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?

8Will ye accept his person? will ye contend for God?

9Is it good that he should search you out? or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock him?

10He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.

11Shall not his excellency make you afraid? and his dread fall upon you?

12Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.

13^aHold your peace, let me alone, that I may speak, and let come on me what will.

14Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?

15Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will ^bmaintain mine own ways before him.

16He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

17Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.

18Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

19Who is he that will plead with me? for now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.

20Only do not two things unto me: then will I not hide myself from thee.

21Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.

22Then call thou, and I will answer: or let me speak, and answer thou me.

23How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.

24Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?

25Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?

26For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.

27Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and ^clookest narrowly unto all my paths; thou settest a print upon the ^dheels of my feet.

28And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is moth eaten.

1Man that is born of a woman is of ^afew days, and full of trouble.

2He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

3And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee?

4Who ^bcan bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.

5Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

6Turn from him, that he may ^crest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day.

7For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

8Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;

9Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.

10But man dieth, and ^dwasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

11As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up:

12So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

13O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!

14If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

15Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.

16For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?

17My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.

18And surely the mountain falling ^ecometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.

19The waters wear the stones: thou ^fwashest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the hope of man.

20Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth: thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.

21His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

22But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn.

1Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite, and said,

2Should a wise man utter ^avain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?

3Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?

4Yea, thou ^bcastest off fear, and restrainest ^cprayer before God.

5For thy mouth ^duttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.

6Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

7Art thou the first man that was born? or wast thou made before the hills?

8Hast thou heard the secret of God? and dost thou restrain wisdom to thyself?

9What knowest thou, that we know not? what understandest thou, which is not in us?

10With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.

11Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee?

12Why doth thine heart carry thee away? and what do thy eyes wink at,

13That thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?

14What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

15Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.

16How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

17I will shew thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare;

18Which wise men have told from their fathers, and have not hid it:

19Unto whom alone the earth was given, and no stranger passed among them.

20The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.

21^eA dreadful sound is in his ears: in prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.

22He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for of the sword.

23He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, Where is it? he knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

24Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready to the battle.

25For he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty.

26He runneth upon him, even on his neck, upon the thick bosses of his bucklers:

27Because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.

28And he dwelleth in desolate cities, and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps.

29He shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue, neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.

30He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of his mouth shall he go away.

31Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity: for vanity shall be his recompence.

32It shall be ^faccomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.

33He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.

34For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.

35They conceive mischief, and bring forth ^gvanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.

1Then Job answered and said,

2I have heard many such things: ^amiserable comforters are ye all.

3Shall ^bvain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?

4I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.

5But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.

6Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, ^cwhat am I eased?

7But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.

8And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

9He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

10They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.

11God ^dhath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.

12I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.

13His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.

14He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.

15I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.

16My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

17Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.

18O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.

19Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is ^eon high.

20My friends ^fscorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.

21O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his ^gneighbour!

22When ^ha few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

1My ^abreath is corrupt, my days are extinct, the graves are ready for me.

2Are there not mockers with me? and doth not mine eye ^bcontinue in their provocation?

3Lay down now, put me in a surety with thee; who is he that will strike hands with me?

4For thou hast hid their heart from understanding: therefore shalt thou not exalt them.

5He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.

6He hath made me also a byword of the people; and ^caforetime I was as a tabret.

7Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all ^dmy members are as a shadow.

8Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.

9The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall ^ebe stronger and stronger.

10But as for you all, do ye return, and come now: for I cannot find one wise man among you.

11My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even ^fthe thoughts of my heart.

12They change the night into day: the light is ^gshort because of darkness.

13If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness.

14I have ^hsaid to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister.

15And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?

16They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust.

1Then answered Bildad the Shuhite, and said,

2How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? mark, and afterwards we will speak.

3Wherefore are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight?

4He teareth ^ahimself in his anger: shall the earth be forsaken for thee? and shall the rock be removed out of his place?

5Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.

6The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his ^bcandle shall be put out with him.

7The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down.

8For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a snare.

9The gin shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him.

10The snare is ^claid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way.

11Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall ^ddrive him to his feet.

12His strength shall be hungerbitten, and destruction shall be ready at his side.

13It shall devour the ^estrength of his skin: even the firstborn of death shall devour his strength.

14His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors.

15It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.

16His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off.

17His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.

18^fHe shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.

19He shall neither have son nor nephew among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.

20They that come after him shall be astonied at his day, as they that ^gwent before ^hwere affrighted.

21Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God.

1Then Job answered and said,

2How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

3These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye ^amake yourselves strange to me.

4And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.

5If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:

6Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.

7Behold, I cry out of ^bwrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.

8He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.

9He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.

10He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.

11He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.

12His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.

13He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.

14My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

15They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.

16I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.

17My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's sake of ^cmine own body.

18Yea, ^dyoung children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.

19All ^emy inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.

20My bone cleaveth to my skin ^fand to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

21Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

22Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

23^gOh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

24That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!

25For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

26^hAnd though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

27Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not ⁱanother; ^jthough my reins be consumed ^kwithin me.

28But ye should say, Why persecute we him, ^lseeing the root of the matter is found in me?

29Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.