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Job 19

Job replies to Bildad [ a ]

19 Then Job replied. This is what he said:

2 ‘Please stop speaking to me like that!
Your words continue to make me suffer.
3 You have insulted me many, many times.
You should be ashamed to attack me like that.
4 I might have done things that are wrong.
But even if that might be true,
those wrong things have not hurt you.
5 You think that you are better people than I am.
Because I have all these troubles,
you say that I must be guilty.
6 But you should realize that God has caused all my troubles.
He is the one who has caught me in his trap.

7 If I shout, “Help me, I am in trouble!”
nobody answers me.
I shout to get help,
but nobody comes to give me justice.
8 God has stopped me
so that I cannot move forward.
He has made my path dark
so that I cannot see the way to go.
9 He has taken away my honour
so that nobody respects me.
10 Everywhere that I go, God is there to attack me.
He is ready to destroy me.
He has taken away my hope,
as if he has dug a tree out of the ground.
11 He is very angry against me.
He attacks me as if I am his enemy.
12 His whole army is coming to attack me!
They build a road so that they can reach me.
They are all around me.

13 God has caused my brothers to stay away from me.
My friends do not want to meet me.
14 My relatives have left me.
My best friends have forgotten me.
15 Visitors who stayed in my house
now think that I am a stranger.
Even my servants think that I am a foreigner.
16 I tell my servant to come to me
but he does not come.
I ask him to help me,
but he does nothing.
17 My wife moves away from the smell of my breath.
My brothers stay away from me.
18 Even young children insult me.
When I stand up, they laugh at me.
19 My best friends hate me.
People that I love have turned against me.
20 My body is now only skin and bones.
I still breathe but I am only just alive.
21 Please be kind to me, my friends.
God has caused me to suffer,
so please be kind to me.
22 Do not punish me as God is punishing me.
You have already caused me to suffer enough.

23 Someone should write down the words that I speak.
My words should be written on a scroll.
24 If someone uses an iron tool to write them on a rock,
that would be good.
Then they would never disappear.
25 As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives. [ b ]
I know that, in the end, he will stand on the earth.
26 Illness may completely destroy my skin.
But after that happens,
I know that in this body I will see God.
27 I will see him for myself,
with my own eyes.
It makes me feel weak inside as I think about it!
28 My friends, you should not think of ways to make me suffer even more.
You say that I have caused my own trouble.
29 Instead, you yourselves should be afraid of punishment!
When God is angry with someone,
he punishes that person.
Then you will know that he is the one who judges people.’

Footnotes

  1. 19:1 Now Job is angry with his friends because of the things that they have said. He thinks that God has gone away. He feels that he is alone. He is sad because his friends and his family see him as a stranger. But then Job says something that is very special (verses 25 to 27). He believes that God will save him. Even if he dies, God will make him alive again. He is sure that, some day, he will see God.
  2. 19:25 A ‘redeemer’ is someone who pays another person's debts. Job uses it here as a name for God. In the New Testament, we read that Jesus paid the price for all the wrong things that we have done.

Job Answers

19 Then Job answered:

2 “How long will you hurt me
and crush me with your words?
3 You have insulted me ten times now.
You have attacked me without shame!
4 Even if I have sinned,
it is my problem, not yours!
5 You want me to look bad to make yourselves look good.
You say my troubles are proof that I did wrong.
6 I want you to know it was God who did this.
He set this trap for me.
7 I shout, ‘He hurt me!’ but get no answer.
No one hears my cry for fairness.
8 God has blocked my way to keep me from getting through.
He has hidden my path in darkness.
9 He took away my honor.
He took the crown from my head.
10 He hits me on every side until I am worn out.
He takes away my hope.
It is like a tree pulled up by the roots.
11 His anger burns against me.
He treats me like an enemy.
12 He sends his army to attack me.
They build attack towers around me.
They camp around my tent.

13 “God has made my brothers hate me.
Those who knew me have become strangers.
14 My relatives have left me.
My friends have forgotten me.
15 My servant girls and visitors in my home
look at me as if I am a stranger and a foreigner.
16 I call for my servant, but he does not answer.
Even if I beg for help, he will not answer.
17 My wife hates the smell of my breath.
My own brothers hate me.
18 Even little children make fun of me.
When I get up, they say bad things about me.
19 All my close friends hate me.
Even my loved ones have turned against me.

20 “I am so thin, my skin hangs loose on my bones.
I have little life left in me.

21 “Pity me, my friends, pity me,
because God is against me.
22 Why do you persecute me as God does?
Don’t you get tired of hurting me?

23 “I wish someone would write down everything I say.
I wish my words were written on a scroll.
24 I wish they were carved with an iron tool into lead
or scratched on a rock so that they would last forever.
25 I know that there is someone to defend me and that he lives!
And in the end, he will stand here on earth and defend me.
26 After I leave my body and my skin has been destroyed,
I know I will still see God.
27 I will see him with my own eyes.
I myself, not someone else, will see God.
And I cannot tell you how excited that makes me feel! [ a ]

28 “Maybe you will say, ‘How can we push Job a little harder
and make him realize that he is the source of his problems?’
29 But you need to worry about your own punishment.
God might use the sword against you!
Then you will know there is a time for judgment.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 19:27 Or “And in the end, he will stand here on earth and defend me, 26 even after my skin has been destroyed. But I want to see God while I am still in my body. 27 I want to see him with my own eyes, not through someone else’s eyes. And I cannot tell you how much I want this to happen!”

19 Then Job answered and said,

2 How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

3 These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.

4 And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.

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

6 Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.

7 Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.

8 He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.

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

10 He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.

11 He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.

12 His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.

13 He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.

14 My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

15 They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.

16 I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.

17 My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's sake of mine own body.

18 Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.

19 All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.

20 My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

21 Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

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

23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!

25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

28 But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

29 Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.

Job Feels Insulted

19 Then Job responded,

2 “How long will you torment [ a ] me
And crush me with words?
3 These ten times you have insulted me;
You are not ashamed to wrong me.
4 Even if I have truly done wrong,
My error stays with me.
5 If indeed you ( A ) exalt yourselves against me
And prove my disgrace to me,
6 Know then that ( B ) God has wronged me
And has surrounded me with ( C ) His net.

Everything Is Against Him

7 “Behold, ( D ) I cry, ‘Violence!’ but I get no answer;
I shout for help, but there is no justice.
8 He has ( E ) blocked my way so that I cannot pass,
And He has put ( F ) darkness on my paths.
9 He has ( G ) stripped my honor from me
And removed the ( H ) crown from my head.
10 He ( I ) breaks me down on every side, and I am gone;
And He has uprooted my ( J ) hope ( K ) like a tree.
11 He has also ( L ) kindled His anger against me
And ( M ) considered me as His enemy.
12 His ( N ) troops come together
And ( O ) build up their [ b ] way against me
And camp around my tent.

13 “He has ( P ) removed my brothers far from me,
And my ( Q ) acquaintances have completely turned away from me.
14 My relatives have failed,
And my ( R ) close friends have forgotten me.
15 Those who live in my house and my servant women consider me a stranger.
I am a foreigner in their sight.
16 I call to my servant, but he does not answer;
I have to implore his favor with my mouth.
17 My breath is offensive to my wife,
And I am loathsome to my own brothers.
18 Even young children despise me;
I stand up and they speak against me.
19 All [ c ] my ( S ) associates loathe me,
And those I love have turned against me.
20 My ( T ) bone clings to my skin and my flesh,
And I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.
21 Pity me, pity me, you friends of mine,
For the ( U ) hand of God has struck me.
22 Why do you ( V ) persecute me as God does ,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?

Job Says My Redeemer Lives

23 “Oh that my words were written!
Oh that they were ( W ) recorded in a book!
24 That with an iron stylus and lead
They were engraved in the rock forever!
25 Yet as for me, I know that ( X ) my Redeemer lives,
And at the last, He will take His stand on the [ d ] earth.
26 Even after my skin [ e ] is destroyed,
Yet from my flesh I will ( Y ) see God,
27 Whom I, on my part, shall behold for myself,
And whom my eyes will see, and not another.
My [ f ] heart ( Z ) faints [ g ] within me!
28 If you say, ‘How shall we ( AA ) persecute him?’
And ‘ [ h ] What pretext for a case against him can we find?’
29 Then be afraid of ( AB ) the sword for yourselves,
For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
So that you may know ( AC ) there is judgment.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 19:2 Lit my soul
  2. Job 19:12 I.e., siege ramp
  3. Job 19:19 Lit the men of my council
  4. Job 19:25 Lit dust
  5. Job 19:26 Lit which they have cut off
  6. Job 19:27 Lit kidneys
  7. Job 19:27 Lit in my loins
  8. Job 19:28 Or the root of the matter is found in him

Job

19 Then Job replied:

2 “How long will you torment ( A ) me
and crush ( B ) me with words?
3 Ten times ( C ) now you have reproached ( D ) me;
shamelessly you attack me.
4 If it is true that I have gone astray,
my error ( E ) remains my concern alone.
5 If indeed you would exalt yourselves above me ( F )
and use my humiliation against me,
6 then know that God has wronged me ( G )
and drawn his net ( H ) around me. ( I )

7 “Though I cry, ‘Violence!’ I get no response; ( J )
though I call for help, ( K ) there is no justice. ( L )
8 He has blocked my way so I cannot pass; ( M )
he has shrouded my paths in darkness. ( N )
9 He has stripped ( O ) me of my honor ( P )
and removed the crown from my head. ( Q )
10 He tears me down ( R ) on every side till I am gone;
he uproots my hope ( S ) like a tree. ( T )
11 His anger ( U ) burns against me;
he counts me among his enemies. ( V )
12 His troops advance in force; ( W )
they build a siege ramp ( X ) against me
and encamp around my tent. ( Y )

13 “He has alienated my family ( Z ) from me;
my acquaintances are completely estranged from me. ( AA )
14 My relatives have gone away;
my closest friends ( AB ) have forgotten me.
15 My guests ( AC ) and my female servants ( AD ) count me a foreigner;
they look on me as on a stranger.
16 I summon my servant, but he does not answer,
though I beg him with my own mouth.
17 My breath is offensive to my wife;
I am loathsome ( AE ) to my own family.
18 Even the little boys ( AF ) scorn me;
when I appear, they ridicule me. ( AG )
19 All my intimate friends ( AH ) detest me; ( AI )
those I love have turned against me. ( AJ )
20 I am nothing but skin and bones; ( AK )
I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth. [ a ]

21 “Have pity on me, my friends, ( AL ) have pity,
for the hand of God has struck ( AM ) me.
22 Why do you pursue ( AN ) me as God does? ( AO )
Will you never get enough of my flesh? ( AP )

23 “Oh, that my words were recorded,
that they were written on a scroll, ( AQ )
24 that they were inscribed with an iron tool ( AR ) on [ b ] lead,
or engraved in rock forever! ( AS )
25 I know that my redeemer [ c ] ( AT ) lives, ( AU )
and that in the end he will stand on the earth. [ d ]
26 And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet [ e ] in [ f ] my flesh I will see God; ( AV )
27 I myself will see him
with my own eyes ( AW ) —I, and not another.
How my heart yearns ( AX ) within me!

28 “If you say, ‘How we will hound ( AY ) him,
since the root of the trouble lies in him, [ g ] ’
29 you should fear the sword yourselves;
for wrath will bring punishment by the sword, ( AZ )
and then you will know that there is judgment. [ h ] ” ( BA )

Footnotes

  1. Job 19:20 Or only by my gums
  2. Job 19:24 Or and
  3. Job 19:25 Or vindicator
  4. Job 19:25 Or on my grave
  5. Job 19:26 Or And after I awake, / though this body has been destroyed, / then
  6. Job 19:26 Or destroyed, / apart from
  7. Job 19:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Vulgate; most Hebrew manuscripts me
  8. Job 19:29 Or sword, / that you may come to know the Almighty
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