King James Version KJV
New Revised Standard NRS
1 Then Job answered and said,
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Then Job answered:
2 I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
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"I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all.
3 Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
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Have windy words no limit? Or what provokes you that you keep on talking?
4 I 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.
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I also could talk as you do, if you were in my place; I could join words together against you, and shake my head at you.
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.
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I could encourage you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips would assuage your pain.
6 Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?
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"If I speak, my pain is not assuaged, and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me?
7 But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.
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Surely now God has worn me out; he has made desolate all my company.
8 And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.
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And he has shriveled me up, which is a witness against me; my leanness has risen up against me, and it testifies to my face.
9 He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.
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He has torn me in his wrath, and hated me; he has gnashed his teeth at me; my adversary sharpens his eyes against me.
10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.
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They have gaped at me with their mouths; they have struck me insolently on the cheek; they mass themselves together against me.
11 God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.
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God gives me up to the ungodly, and casts me into the hands of the wicked.
12 I 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.
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I was at ease, and he broke me in two; he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces; he set me up as his target;
13 His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
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his archers surround me. He slashes open my kidneys, and shows no mercy; he pours out my gall on the ground.
14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.
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He bursts upon me again and again; he rushes at me like a warrior.
15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.
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I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and have laid my strength in the dust.
16 My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
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My face is red with weeping, and deep darkness is on my eyelids,
17 Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.
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though there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
18 O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.
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"O earth, do not cover my blood; let my outcry find no resting place.
19 Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.
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Even now, in fact, my witness is in heaven, and he that vouches for me is on high.
20 My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.
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My friends scorn me; my eye pours out tears to God,
21 O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
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that he would maintain the right of a mortal with God, as one does for a neighbor.
22 When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.
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For when a few years have come, I shall go the way from which I shall not return.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.