New American Standard Bible NAS
English Standard Version ESV
1 Then Job answered,
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Then Job answered and said:
2 "I have heard many such things; Sorry comforters are you all.
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"I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are you all.
3 "Is there no limit to windy words? Or what plagues you that you answer?
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Shall windy words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
4 "I too could speak like you, If I were in your place. I could compose words against you And shake my head at you.
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I also could speak as you do, if you were in my place; I could join words together against you and shake my head at you.
5 "I could strengthen you with my mouth, And the solace of my lips could lessen your pain.
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I could strengthen you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips would assuage your pain.
6 "If I speak, my pain is not lessened, And if I hold back, what has left me?
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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 has exhausted me; You have laid waste all my company.
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Surely now God has worn me out; he has made desolate all my company.
8 "You have shriveled me up, It has become a witness; And my leanness rises up against me, It testifies to my face.
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And he has shriveled me up, which is a witness against me, and my leanness has risen up against me; it testifies to my face.
9 "His anger has torn me and hunted me down, He has gnashed at me with His teeth; My adversary glares at 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 at me with their mouth, They have slapped me on the cheek with contempt; They have massed themselves against me.
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Men have gaped at me with their mouth; they have struck me insolently on the cheek; they mass themselves together against me.
11 "God hands me over to ruffians And tosses me 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 shattered me, And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces; He has also set me up as His target.
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I was at ease, and he broke me apart; he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces; he set me up as his target;
13 "His arrows surround me. Without mercy He splits my kidneys open; He pours out my gall on the ground.
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his archers surround me. He slashes open my kidneys and does not spare; he pours out my gall on the ground.
14 "He breaks through me with breach after breach; He runs at me like a warrior.
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He breaks me with breach upon breach; he runs upon me like a warrior.
15 "I have sewed sackcloth over my skin And thrust 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 flushed from weeping, And deep darkness is on my eyelids,
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My face is red with weeping, and on my eyelids is deep darkness,
17 Although there is no violence in my hands, And my prayer is pure.
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although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
18 "O earth, do not cover my blood, And let there be no resting place for my cry.
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"O earth, cover not my blood, and let my cry find no resting place.
19 "Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, And my advocate is on high.
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Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high.
20 "My friends are my scoffers; My eye weeps to God.
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My friends scorn me; my eye pours out tears to God,
21 "O that a man might plead with God As a man with his neighbor!
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that he would argue the case of a man with God, as a son of man does with his neighbor.
22 "For when a few years are past, I shall go the way of no return.
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For when a few years have come I shall go the way from which I shall not return.
New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California. All rights reserved.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.