Then Iyyov answered and said,

Then Iyyov raised his voice and said:

I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are you all.

I have heard such words many times. You are all counselors of deceit.

Shall windy words have an end? or what provokes thee that thou answerest?

Is there an end to words of vanity? What [would] impel you to answer [cogently]?

Would I also speak as you do? if your soul were in my soul’s stead, would I join words together against you, and shake my head at you?

I could also speak as you if you were [being afflicted] instead of me. I could [also] join you with words and nod my head [in lamentation] over you.

I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should assuage your grief.

I could strengthen you with my mouth [(as you do to me)], and the plaint of my lips would cease.

Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?

[But now,] if I speak, my pain will not cease, and if I cease from speech, what [(of my pain)] would leave me?

But now it has made me weary: Thou hast made desolate all my company.

But now, it has wearied me. You have stunned all of my household [(into silence)].

And Thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up against me bears witness to my face.

You have shriveled me up as testimony [to my sin]. My leanness has risen against me [(in testimony)]; it testifies in my face.

He tears me in his wrath, and hates me: he gnashes at me with his teeth; my enemy sharpens his eyes upon me.

His wrath has torn me and He has hated me. He has gnashed His teeth against me and my oppressor [(Satan)] sharpens his eyes against me.

They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek scornfully; they gather themselves together against me.

They have opened their mouths against me. They have smitten my cheeks with shame. They have gathered together against me.

God has delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.

G d has handed me over to a mocker, and by the hands of the wicked He "heals" me.

I was at ease, but he broke me asunder: he has also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his target.

I was at peace and he [(the mocker)] crumbled me. He seized my neck and smashed me, and he set me up as a target for him.

His archers compass me round about, he cleaves my reins asunder, and does not spare; he pours out my gall upon the ground.

His archers surrounded me. He splits my innards and he has no mercy. He spills my gall to the ground.

He breaks me with breach upon breach, he runs upon me like a giant.

He multiplies wound upon wound. He runs upon me like a warrior.

I have sewn sackcloth upon my skin, and have laid my horn in the dust.

I sewed sackcloth for my scab, and I sullied my [face's] radiance with ashes.

My face is scalded with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;

My face became creased from crying, and death-shadows descended on my lids.

though no injustice is in my hands; and my prayer is pure.

[And all this befell me] for no violence in my palms; and my prayer was pure [(I did not curse my friend nor desire ill for him)].

O earth, cover not my blood, and let my cry have no pause.

Earth, cover my blood, and let there be no place [therein to silence] my outcries [(from ascending to heaven)].

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

Even now my Witness [(who knows my ways)] is in heaven and my testimony is in the heights.

My friends scorn me: but my eye pours out tears to God.

[(You, who should have been)] my intercessors, my friends — my eyes stream to G d.

O that a man might plead his cause with God, as the son of man with his fellow!

Would that [He granted me that] a man could dispute with G d as a man [disputes] with his neighbor.

For when a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

For the years numbered [for my life] are coming [to an end], when I will travel the road of no return.