The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 In response Iyov said:
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And Job made answer and said,
2 "I have heard this stuff so often! Such sorry comforters, all of you!
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Such things have frequently come to my ears: you are comforters who only give trouble.
3 Is there no end to words of wind? What provokes you to answer this way?
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May words which are like the wind be stopped? or what is troubling you to make answer to them?
4 "If I were in your place, I too could speak as you do -I could string phrases together against you and shake my head at you.
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It would not be hard for me to say such things if your souls were in my soul's place; joining words together against you, and shaking my head at you:
5 I could 'strengthen' you with my mouth, with lip service I could 'ease your grief.'
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I might give you strength with my mouth, and not keep back the comfort of my lips.
6 If I speak, my own pain isn't eased; and if I don't speak, it still doesn't leave.
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If I say what is in my mind, my pain becomes no less: and if I keep quiet, how much of it goes from me?
7 "But now he has worn me out; you have desolated this whole community of mine.
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But now he has overcome me with weariness and fear, and I am in the grip of all my trouble.
8 Besides, you have shriveled me up; and this serves to witness against me. My being so thin rises up against me and testifies to my face.
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It has come up as a witness against me, and the wasting of my flesh makes answer to my face.
9 He tears me apart in his anger; he holds a grudge against me; he gnashes on me with his teeth. "My enemies look daggers at me.
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I am broken by his wrath, and his hate has gone after me; he has made his teeth sharp against me: my haters are looking on me with cruel eyes;
10 Wide-mouthed, they gape at me; with scorn, they slap my cheeks; they gather themselves together against me.
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Their mouths are open wide against me; the blows of his bitter words are falling on my face; all of them come together in a mass against me.
11 "God delivers me to the perverse, throws me into the hands of the wicked.
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God gives me over to the power of sinners, sending me violently into the hands of evil-doers.
12 I was at peace, and he shook me apart. Yes, he grabbed me by the neck and dashed me to pieces. He set me up as his target
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I was in comfort, but I have been broken up by his hands; he has taken me by the neck, shaking me to bits; he has put me up as a mark for his arrows.
13 his archers surrounded me. He slashes my innards and shows no mercy, he pours my gall on the ground.
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His bowmen come round about me; their arrows go through my body without mercy; my life is drained out on the earth.
14 He breaks in on me again and again, attacking me like a warrior.
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I am broken with wound after wound; he comes rushing on me like a man of war.
15 "I sewed sackcloth together to cover my skin and laid my pride in the dust;
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I have made haircloth the clothing of my skin, and my horn is rolled in the dust.
16 my face is red from crying, and on my eyelids is a death-dark shadow.
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My face is red with weeping, and my eyes are becoming dark;
17 Yet my hands are free from violence, and my prayer is pure.
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Though my hands have done no violent acts, and my prayer is clean.
18 "Earth, don't cover my blood; don't let my cry rest [without being answered].
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O earth, let not my blood be covered, and let my cry have no resting-place!
19 Even now, my witness is in heaven; my advocate is there on high.
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Even now my witness is in heaven, and the supporter of my cause is on high.
20 With friends like these as intercessors, my eyes pour out tears to God,
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My friends make sport of me; to God my eyes are weeping,
21 that he would arbitrate between a man and God, just as one does for his fellow human being.
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So that he may give decision for a man in his cause with God, and between a son of man and his neighbour.
22 For I have but few years left before I leave on the road of no return.
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For in a short time I will take the journey from which I will not come back.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.