Job 19

1 Then Job answered,

And Job made answer and said,

2 “How long will you torment me, and crush me with words?

How long will you make my life bitter, crushing me with words?

3 You have reproached me ten times. You are not ashamed that you attack me.

Ten times now you have made sport of me; it gives you no sense of shame to do me wrong.

4 If it is true that I have erred, my error remains with myself.

And, truly, if I have been in error, the effect of my error is only on myself.

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

If you make yourselves great against me, using my punishment as an argument against me,

6 know now that God has subverted me, and has surrounded me with his net.

Be certain that it is God who has done me wrong, and has taken me in his net.

7 “Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard. I cry for help, but there is no justice.

Truly, I make an outcry against the violent man, but there is no answer: I give a cry for help, but no one takes up my cause.

8 He has walled up my way so that I cannot pass, and has set darkness in my paths.

My way is walled up by him so that I may not go by: he has made my roads dark.

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

He has put off my glory from me, and taken the crown from my head.

10 He has broken me down on every side, and I am gone. He has plucked my hope up like a tree.

I am broken down by him on every side, and I am gone; my hope is uprooted like a tree.

11 He has also kindled his wrath against me. He counts me among his adversaries.

His wrath is burning against me, and I am to him as one of his haters.

12 His troops come on together, build a siege ramp against me, and encamp around my tent.

His armies come on together, they make their road high against me, and put up their tents round mine.

13 “He has put my brothers far from me. My acquaintances are wholly estranged from me.

He has taken my brothers far away from me; they have seen my fate and have become strange to me.

14 My relatives have gone away. My familiar friends have forgotten me.

My relations and my near friends have given me up, and those living in my house have put me out of their minds.

15 Those who dwell in my house and my maids consider me a stranger. I am an alien in their sight.

I am strange to my women-servants, and seem to them as one from another country.

16 I call to my servant, and he gives me no answer. I beg him with my mouth.

At my cry my servant gives me no answer, and I have to make a prayer to him.

17 My breath is offensive to my wife. I am loathsome to the children of my own mother.

My breath is strange to my wife, and I am disgusting to the offspring of my mother's body.

18 Even young children despise me. If I arise, they speak against me.

Even young children have no respect for me; when I get up their backs are turned on me.

19 All my familiar friends abhor me. They whom I loved have turned against me.

All the men of my circle keep away from me; and those dear to me are turned against me.

20 My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

My bones are joined to my skin, and I have got away with my flesh in my teeth.

21 “Have pity on me. Have pity on me, you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me.

Have pity on me, have pity on me, O my friends! for the hand of God is on me.

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

Why are you cruel to me, like God, for ever saying evil against me?

23 “Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

If only my words might be recorded! if they might be put in writing in a book!

24 That with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!

And with an iron pen and lead be cut into the rock for ever!

25 But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives. In the end, he will stand upon the earth.

But I am certain that he who will take up my cause is living, and that in time to come he will take his place on the dust;

26 After my skin is destroyed, then I will see God in my flesh,

And ... without my flesh I will see God;

27 whom I, even I, will see on my side. My eyes will see, and not as a stranger. “My heart is consumed within me.

Whom I will see on my side, and not as one strange to me. My heart is broken with desire.

28 If you say, ‘How we will persecute him!’ because the root of the matter is found in me,

If you say, How cruel we will be to him! because the root of sin is clearly in him:

29 be afraid of the sword, for wrath brings the punishments of the sword, that you may know there is a judgment.”

Be in fear of the sword, for the sword is the punishment for such things, so that you may be certain that there is a judge.