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Job 6

Job replies to Eliphaz [ a ]

6 Then Job replied:

2 ‘I am so upset that nobody could measure it!
My problems are too many to weigh!
3 They are heavier than all the sand on the shore of the sea.
That is why I did not think carefully before I spoke.
4 Almighty God has shot his arrows into me.
Their poison is now deep inside me.
God has sent me many troubles that make me afraid.

5 A wild donkey does not complain when it has grass to eat.
An ox is quiet when it has its food.
6 You cannot enjoy food that has no salt in it.
The white part of an egg is not nice to eat on its own.
7 I cannot eat that kind of food.
It makes me ill.

8 I want God to give me what I ask him for.
I want him to answer my prayer.
9 I would like him to destroy me.
He should kill me himself.
10 Then I would have peace.
I would be happy.
I have received much cruel pain.
But I have always obeyed the words of the holy God.
11 I am not strong enough to hope for my life to become any better.
There is no reason for me to continue my life.
12 I am not as strong as stones.
My body is not strong like bronze.
13 I no longer have strength to help myself.
There is nowhere that I can go to get help.

14 When a man has no hope,
his friends should be kind to him.
They should help him,
even if he no longer respects God Almighty.
15 But you, my friends, have not helped me when I need you.
You are like streams that quickly become dry.
There is no water when you need it.
16 In the spring, ice and deep snow covers them.
17 But in the hot summer time, all the water disappears.
Those streams become completely dry.
18 Travellers leave the road to look for water.
They find no water to drink and they die in the desert.
19 Travellers from Tema look everywhere for these streams.
Traders from Sheba hope to find water.
20 They are very upset, because they expected to find water.
But when they arrive, they are disappointed.
21 My friends, you have become like those streams.
You see my great problem, and you are afraid.

22 I have never said to you, “Give me something to help me.
Please use some of your money to rescue me.”
23 I have not asked you to save me from the power of my enemy.
Or to pay cruel people to let me go free.

24 Teach me the truth, and I will listen carefully.
Explain to me the mistakes that I have made.
25 True words may give pain to the person who listens to them.
But the things that you say against me mean nothing.
26 You are warning me because of what I say.
I have no hope and you think that my words are empty.
27 You would play a game to win a child who has no family.
You would even sell your friends to become rich yourselves.
28 But now, please look at me.
I will not tell you any lies.
29 Change what you are saying about me.
Do not say that I am guilty.
Think again, for I am truly a good person.
30 I have not spoken any lies.
I know what is right and what is wrong.

Footnotes

  1. 6:1 Job tells Eliphaz that he wants to know the reason for his trouble. He is not a bad person who has done wrong things. His friends have not helped him to understand why God has punished him like this.

Job Answers Eliphaz

6 Then Job answered:

2 “I wish my suffering could be weighed
and all my trouble be put on the scales.
3 They would be heavier than all the sand of the sea!
That is why my words are so crazy.
4 God All-Powerful has shot me with his arrows.
My spirit feels their poison!
God’s terrible weapons are lined up against me.
5 Even a wild donkey does not complain when it has grass to eat.
And a cow is quiet when it has food.
6 Food without salt does not taste good,
and the white of an egg has no taste.
7 I refuse to touch that kind of food;
it makes me sick!

8 “I wish I could have what I ask for.
I wish God would give me what I want.
9 I wish he would crush me—
just go ahead and kill me!
10 Then I would be comforted by this one thing:
Even through all this pain,
I never refused to obey the commands of the Holy One.

11 “With my strength gone, I have no hope to go on living.
With nothing to look forward to, why should I be patient?
12 I am not strong like a rock.
My body is not made from bronze.
13 I don’t have the power to help myself,
because all hope of success has been taken away from me.

14 “Friends should be loyal to you in times of trouble,
even if you turn away from God All-Powerful. [ a ]
15 But I cannot depend on you, my brothers.
You are like a stream that has no water when the weather is dry
but is flooded when the rains come.
16 In the winter, it is choked with ice and melting snow.
17 But when the weather is hot and dry,
the water stops flowing,
and the stream disappears.
18 It twists and turns along the way
and then disappears into the desert.
19 Traders from Tema search for it.
Travelers from Sheba hope to find it.
20 They are sure they can find water,
but they will be disappointed.
21 Now, you are like those streams.
You see my troubles and are afraid.
22 But have I ever asked you to help me?
Did I ask you to offer a bribe for me from your wealth?
23 No, and I never said, ‘Save me from my enemies!’
or ‘Save me from those who are cruel!’

24 “So now, teach me, and I will be quiet.
Show me what I have done wrong.
25 Honest words are powerful,
but your arguments prove nothing.
26 Do you plan to criticize me?
Will you speak more tiring words?
27 Are you the kind of people
who would gamble for orphans
and sell out your own friends?
28 Now, look me in the face,
and see that I am telling the truth!
29 You need to start over and stop being so unfair!
Think again, because I am innocent.
30 I am not lying.
I know right from wrong.

Footnotes

  1. Job 6:14 Or “People who fail to be loyal to their friends have also failed to respect God All-Powerful.”

6 But Job answered and said,

2 Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!

3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up.

4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.

5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?

6 Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

7 The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowful meat.

8 Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

9 Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!

10 Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.

11 What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?

12 Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass?

13 Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?

14 To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.

15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away;

16 Which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid:

17 What time they wax warm, they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.

18 The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish.

19 The troops of Tema looked, the companies of Sheba waited for them.

20 They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed.

21 For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid.

22 Did I say, Bring unto me? or, Give a reward for me of your substance?

23 Or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?

24 Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.

25 How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?

26 Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?

27 Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend.

28 Now therefore be content, look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I lie.

29 Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it.

30 Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?

Job’s Friends Are No Help

6 Then Job responded,

2 “ ( A ) Oh if only my grief were actually weighed
And laid in the balances together with my disaster!
3 For then it would be ( B ) heavier than the sand of the seas;
For that reason my words have been rash.
4 For the ( C ) arrows of the Almighty are within me,
[ a ] My spirit drinks their ( D ) poison;
The ( E ) terrors of God line up against me.
5 Does the ( F ) wild donkey bray over his grass,
Or does the ox low over his feed?
6 Can something tasteless be eaten without salt,
Or is there any taste in the [ b ] juice of an alkanet plant ?
7 My soul ( G ) refuses to touch them ;
They are like loathsome food to me.

8 “Oh, that my request might come to pass,
And that God would grant my hope!
9 Oh , that God would ( H ) decide to crush me,
That He would let loose His hand and cut me off!
10 But it is still my comfort,
And I rejoice in unsparing pain,
That I ( I ) have not [ c ] denied the words of the Holy One.
11 What is my strength, that I should wait?
And what is my end, that I should [ d ] ( J ) endure?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones,
Or is my flesh bronze?
13 Is it that my ( K ) help is not within me,
And that a ( L ) good outcome is driven away from me?

14 “For the ( M ) despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;
So that he does not ( N ) abandon the [ e ] fear of the Almighty.
15 My brothers have acted ( O ) deceitfully like a [ f ] wadi,
Like the torrents of [ g ] wadis which drain away,
16 Which are darkened because of ice,
And into which the snow [ h ] melts.
17 When ( P ) they dry up, they vanish;
When it is hot, they disappear from their place.
18 The [ i ] paths of their course wind along,
They go up into wasteland and perish.
19 The caravans of ( Q ) Tema looked,
The travelers of ( R ) Sheba hoped for them.
20 They ( S ) were put to shame, for they had trusted,
They came there and were humiliated.
21 Indeed, you have now become such,
( T ) You see terrors and are afraid.
22 Have I said, ‘Give me something ,’
Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,’
23 Or, ‘Save me from the hand of the enemy,’
Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?

24 “Teach me, and ( U ) I will be silent;
And show me how I have done wrong.
25 How painful are honest words!
But what does your argument prove?
26 Do you intend to rebuke my words,
When the ( V ) words of one in despair belong to the wind?
27 You would even ( W ) cast lots for ( X ) the orphans,
And ( Y ) barter over your friend.
28 Now please look at me,
And see if I am ( Z ) lying to your face.
29 Please turn away, let there be no injustice;
Turn away, ( AA ) my righteousness is still in it.
30 Is there injustice on my tongue?
Does ( AB ) my palate not discern disasters?

Footnotes

  1. Job 6:4 Lit Whose poison my spirit drinks
  2. Job 6:6 Heb hallamuth , meaning uncertain
  3. Job 6:10 Lit hidden
  4. Job 6:11 Lit prolong my soul
  5. Job 6:14 Or reverence for
  6. Job 6:15 I.e., dry stream bed(s), except in the rainy season
  7. Job 6:15 I.e., dry stream bed(s), except in the rainy season
  8. Job 6:16 Lit hides itself
  9. Job 6:18 Or caravans turn from their course, they go up into the waste and perish

Job

6 Then Job replied:

2 “If only my anguish could be weighed
and all my misery be placed on the scales! ( A )
3 It would surely outweigh the sand ( B ) of the seas—
no wonder my words have been impetuous. ( C )
4 The arrows ( D ) of the Almighty ( E ) are in me, ( F )
my spirit drinks ( G ) in their poison; ( H )
God’s terrors ( I ) are marshaled against me. ( J )
5 Does a wild donkey ( K ) bray ( L ) when it has grass,
or an ox bellow when it has fodder? ( M )
6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt,
or is there flavor in the sap of the mallow [ a ] ? ( N )
7 I refuse to touch it;
such food makes me ill. ( O )

8 “Oh, that I might have my request,
that God would grant what I hope for, ( P )
9 that God would be willing to crush ( Q ) me,
to let loose his hand and cut off my life! ( R )
10 Then I would still have this consolation ( S ) —
my joy in unrelenting pain ( T ) —
that I had not denied the words ( U ) of the Holy One. ( V )

11 “What strength do I have, that I should still hope?
What prospects, that I should be patient? ( W )
12 Do I have the strength of stone?
Is my flesh bronze? ( X )
13 Do I have any power to help myself, ( Y )
now that success has been driven from me?

14 “Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend ( Z )
forsakes the fear of the Almighty. ( AA )
15 But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams, ( AB )
as the streams that overflow
16 when darkened by thawing ice
and swollen with melting snow, ( AC )
17 but that stop flowing in the dry season,
and in the heat ( AD ) vanish from their channels.
18 Caravans turn aside from their routes;
they go off into the wasteland and perish.
19 The caravans of Tema ( AE ) look for water,
the traveling merchants of Sheba ( AF ) look in hope.
20 They are distressed, because they had been confident;
they arrive there, only to be disappointed. ( AG )
21 Now you too have proved to be of no help;
you see something dreadful and are afraid. ( AH )
22 Have I ever said, ‘Give something on my behalf,
pay a ransom ( AI ) for me from your wealth, ( AJ )
23 deliver me from the hand of the enemy,
rescue me from the clutches of the ruthless’? ( AK )

24 “Teach me, and I will be quiet; ( AL )
show me where I have been wrong. ( AM )
25 How painful are honest words! ( AN )
But what do your arguments prove?
26 Do you mean to correct what I say,
and treat my desperate words as wind? ( AO )
27 You would even cast lots ( AP ) for the fatherless ( AQ )
and barter away your friend.

28 “But now be so kind as to look at me.
Would I lie to your face? ( AR )
29 Relent, do not be unjust; ( AS )
reconsider, for my integrity ( AT ) is at stake. [ b ] ( AU )
30 Is there any wickedness on my lips? ( AV )
Can my mouth not discern ( AW ) malice?

Footnotes

  1. Job 6:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  2. Job 6:29 Or my righteousness still stands
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