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Job 16

16
Job Speaks: My Friends Do Not Help Ease My Pain
1Then Job replied ⌞to his friends⌟,
2“I have heard many things like this before.
You are all pathetic at comforting me.
3Will ⌞your⌟ long-winded speeches never end?
What disturbs you that you keep on answering ⌞me⌟?
4I, too, could speak like you
if we could trade places.
I could string words together against you
and shake my head at you.
5I could encourage you with my mouth,
and my quivering lips could ease ⌞your pain⌟.
6If I speak, my pain is not eased.
If I stop talking, how much of it will go away?
7“But now, God has worn me out.
You, ⌞God,⌟ have destroyed everyone who supports me.
8You have shriveled me up, which itself is a witness ⌞against me⌟.
My frail body rises up and testifies against me.
Job Describes What God Has Done to Him
9“God’s anger tore me ⌞apart⌟ and attacked me.
He gritted his teeth at me.
My opponent looked sharply at me.
10People ridiculed me with their mouths.
They slapped my cheeks with contempt.
They united against me.
11God handed me over to unjust people
and threw me into the hands of wicked people.
12I was at ease, and he shattered me.
He grabbed me by the back of the neck and smashed ⌞my skull⌟.
He set me up as his target,
13and his archers surrounded me.
He slashes open my kidneys without mercy
and spills my blood#16:13 Or “bile.” on the ground.
14He inflicts wound after wound on me.
He lunges at me like a warrior.
15“I have sewn sackcloth over my skin,
and I have thrown my strength in the dust.
16My face is red from crying,
and dark shadows encircle my eyes,
17although my hands have done nothing violent,
and my prayer is sincere.
Job Appeals His Case to Heaven
18“Earth, don’t cover my blood.
Don’t ever let my cry ⌞for justice⌟ be stopped.
19Even now, look! My witness is in heaven,
and the one who testifies for me is above,
20the spokesman for my thoughts.#16:20 Or “my friends mock me.”
My eyes drip ⌞with tears⌟ to God
22because in a few short years I will take the path of no return.#16:22 Verse 22 has been placed before verse 21 to express the complex Hebrew sentence structure more clearly in English.
21But my witness will plead for a human in front of God.
The Son of Man will plead for his friend!

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Job 16: GW

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