| 1 | Then Job answered and said: |
| 2 | “Oh, that my grief were fully weighed, And my calamity laid with it on the scales! |
| 3 | For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea— Therefore my words have been rash. |
| 4 | For the arrows of the Almighty are within me; My spirit drinks in their poison; The terrors of God are arrayed against me. |
| 5 | Does the wild donkey bray when it has grass, Or does the ox low over its fodder? |
| 6 | Can flavorless food be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg? |
| 7 | My soul refuses to touch them; They are as loathsome food to me. |
| 8 | “Oh, that I might have my request, That God would grant me the thing that I long for! |
| 9 | That it would please God to crush me, That He would loose His hand and cut me off! |
| 10 | Then I would still have comfort; Though in anguish I would exult, He will not spare; For I have not concealed the words of the Holy One. |
| 11 | “What strength do I have, that I should hope? And what is my end, that I should prolong my life? |
| 12 | Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh bronze? |
| 13 | Is my help not within me? And is success driven from me? |
| 14 | “To him who is afflicted, kindness should be shown by his friend, Even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty. |
| 15 | My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook, Like the streams of the brooks that pass away, |
| 16 | Which are dark because of the ice, And into which the snow vanishes. |
| 17 | When it is warm, they cease to flow; When it is hot, they vanish from their place. |
| 18 | The paths of their way turn aside, They go nowhere and perish. |
| 19 | The caravans of Tema look, The travelers of Sheba hope for them. |
| 20 | They are disappointed because they were confident; They come there and are confused. |
| 21 | For now you are nothing, You see terror and are afraid. |
| 22 | Did I ever say, ‘Bring something to me’? Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth’? |
| 23 | Or, ‘Deliver me from the enemy’s hand’? Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of oppressors’? |
| 24 | “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; Cause me to understand wherein I have erred. |
| 25 | How forceful are right words! But what does your arguing prove? |
| 26 | Do you intend to rebuke my words, And the speeches of a desperate one, which are as wind? |
| 27 | Yes, you overwhelm the fatherless, And you undermine your friend. |
| 28 | Now therefore, be pleased to look at me; For I would never lie to your face. |
| 29 | Yield now, let there be no injustice! Yes, concede, my righteousness still stands! |
| 30 | Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern the unsavory? |
