1 THEN Job answered and said,
2 I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
3 Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
4 I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul’s stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.
5 But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief.
6 Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?
7 But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.
8 And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.
9 He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.
10 They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.
11 God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.
12 I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
13 His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
14 He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.
15 I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.
16 My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
17 Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.
18 O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.
19 Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.
20 My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.
21 O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
22 When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

1Then Iob answered, and said,

2I haue heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.

3Shall vaine words haue an ende? or what emboldeneth thee, that thou answerest?

4I also could speake as yee doe: if your soule were in my soules stead, I could heape vp words against you, and shake mine head at you.

5But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the mouing of my lips should asswage your griefe.

6Though I speake, my griefe is not asswaged: and though I forbeare; what am I eased?

7But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate al my companie.

8And thou hast filled mee with wrinckles, which is a witnesse against me: and my leannesse rising vp in me, beareth witnesse to my face.

9He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth vpon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes vpon me.

10They haue gaped vpon me with their mouth, they haue smitten me vpon the cheeke reprochfully, they haue gathered themselues together against mee.

11God hath deliuered me to the vngodly, and turned me ouer into the hands of the wicked.

12I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my necke, and shaken me to pieces, and set me vp for his marke.

13His archers compasse me round about, he cleaueth my reines asunder, and doeth not spare; he powreth out my gall vpon the ground.

14He breaketh me with breach vpon breach, he runneth vpon me like a giant.

15I haue sowed sackcloth vpon my skin, and defiled my horne in the dust.

16My face is fowle with weeping, and on mine eye-lids is the shadow of death;

17Not for any iniustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.

18O earth couer not thou my blood, and let my cry haue no place.

19Also now, behold my witnesse is in heauen, and my record is on high.

20My friends scorne me: but mine eye powreth out teares vnto God.

21O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour.

22When a few yeeres are come, then I shall goe the way whence I shall not returne.

II == Job 13:4

 

 

IV == Ps 22:7 ; 109:25 ; Lam 2:15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IX == Job 10:16-17 ; 13:24

 

 

X == Ps 22:13 ; 35:15 ; Lam 3:30 ; Mic 5:1

 

XI == Job 1:15 , 17

 

XII == Job 7:20

 

 

 

 

 

 

XV == Job 30:19 ; Ps 7:5

 

 

 

XVIII == Job 27:9 ; Ps 66:18-19

XIX == Rom 1:9

 

 

XXI == Job 31:35 ; Eccl 6:10 ; Isa 45:9 ; Rom 9:20

XXII == Eccl 12:5

 

1 Then Job answered and said:

2 I have heard this sort of thing many times. Wearisome comforters are you all!

3 Is there no end to windy words? Or what sickness have you that you speak on?

4 I also could talk as you do, were you in my place. I could declaim over you, or wag my head at you;

5 I could strengthen you with talk, or shake my head with silent lips.

6 If I speak, this pain I have will not be checked; if I leave off, it will not depart from me.

7 But now that I am exhausted and stunned, all my company has closed in on me.

8 As a witness there rises up my traducer, speaking openly against me;

9 I am the prey his wrath assails, he gnashes his teeth against me. My enemies lord it over me;

10 their mouths are agape to bite me. They smite me on the cheek insultingly; they are all enlisted against me.

11 God has given me over to the impious; into the clutches of the wicked he has cast me.

12 I was in peace, but he dislodged me; he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces. He has set me up for a target;

13 his arrows strike me from all directions, He pierces my sides without mercy, he pours out my gall upon the ground.

14 He pierces me with thrust upon thrust; he attacks me like a warrior.

15 I have fastened sackcloth over my skin, and have laid my brow in the dust.

16 My face is inflamed with weeping and there is darkness over my eyes,

17 Although my hands are free from violence, and my prayer is sincere.

18 O earth, cover not my blood, nor let my outcry come to rest!

19 Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my spokesman is on high.

20 My friends it is who wrong me; before God my eyes drop tears,

21 That he may do justice for a mortal in his presence and decide between a man and his neighbor.

22 For my years are numbered now, and I am on a journey from which I shall not return.

v 1-5. Job calls all three miserable comforters, but expresses surprise that Eliphaz would attack as he did. If the tables were turned, instead of accusing them, Job would encourage,console and strengthen them.
v 6-8. Job hardly knew whether to answer them or not. God had worn him down by loss of children and servant friends, as could be seen by his emaciated body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 9-14. Job now becomes aware of what we have known since chapter one, that this torture he is enduring is being inflicted by Satan. It may be that some people hurt him and gazed at him on the ash heap, but they were tools of Satan. In verse 11 he is able to see that God has delivered him to Satan, who is the one doing the damage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 15-17. Job sits in sack cloth with humiliation, defeat and great sorrow, but it is not due to his violence or impure prayer, contrary to what Eliphaz said.

 

v 18-22. Job desires to be vindicated on earth, and is sure there is one in heaven who will vouch for him, Rom. 1:9, “God is my witness”. Yet he longs for one who would be a mediator between man and God. We have that in Christ, 1 Tim. 2:5.