Job's Plea to God
1My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.
3Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?
4Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?
5Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days,
6That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?
7Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.
8Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.
9Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?
10Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?
11Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.
12Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.
13And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.
14If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.
15If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;
16For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.
17Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.
18Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!
19I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
20Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,
21Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;
22A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
Job’s Plea to God
1 “My soul is weary of my life. I will give free course to my complaint. I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will tell God, ‘Do not condemn me. Show me why you contend with me.
3 Is it good to you that you should oppress, that you should despise the work of your hands, and smile on the counsel of the wicked?
4 Do you have eyes of flesh? Or do you see as man sees?
5 Are your days as the days of mortals, or your years as man’s years,
6 that you inquire after my iniquity, and search after my sin?
7 Although you know that I am not wicked, there is no one who can deliver out of your hand.
8 “‘Your hands have framed me and fashioned me altogether, yet you destroy me.
9 Remember, I beg you, that you have fashioned me as clay. Will you bring me into dust again?
10 Haven’t you poured me out like milk, and curdled me like cheese?
11 You have clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 You have granted me life and loving kindness. Your visitation has preserved my spirit.
13 Yet you hid these things in your heart. I know that this is with you:
14 if I sin, then you mark me. You will not acquit me from my iniquity.
15 If I am wicked, woe to me. If I am righteous, I still shall not lift up my head, being filled with disgrace, and conscious of my affliction.
16 If my head is held high, you hunt me like a lion. Again you show yourself powerful to me.
17 You renew your witnesses against me, and increase your indignation on me. Changes and warfare are with me.
18 “‘Why, then, have you brought me forth out of the womb? I wish I had given up the spirit, and no eye had seen me.
19 I should have been as though I had not been. I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.
20 Aren’t my days few? Cease then. Leave me alone, that I may find a little comfort,
21 before I go where I shall not return from, to the land of darkness and of the shadow of death;
22 the land dark as midnight, of the shadow of death, without any order, where the light is as midnight.’”
Job’s Plea to God
1 “I loathe my own life;
I will express my complaint
and speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2 I will say to God:
Do not condemn me!
Let me know why You prosecute me.
3 Does it please You to oppress me,
to reject the work of Your hands
and favor the schemes of the wicked?
4 Do You have eyes of flesh?
Do You see as man sees?
5 Are Your days like those of a mortal,
or Your years like those of a man,
6 that You should seek my iniquity
and search out my sin—
7 though You know that I am not guilty,
and there is no deliverance from Your hand?
8 Your hands shaped me and altogether formed me.
Would You now turn and destroy me?
9 Please remember that You molded me like clay.
Would You now return me to dust?
10 Did You not pour me out like milk,
and curdle me like cheese?
11 You clothed me with skin and flesh,
and knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 You have granted me life and loving devotion, a
and Your care has preserved my spirit.
13 Yet You concealed these things in Your heart,
and I know that this was in Your mind:
14 If I sinned, You would take note,
and would not acquit me of my iniquity.
15 If I am guilty, woe to me!
And even if I am righteous, I cannot lift my head.
I am full of shame
and aware of my affliction.
16 Should I hold my head high,
You would hunt me like a lion,
and again display Your power against me.
17 You produce new witnesses against me
and multiply Your anger toward me.
Hardships assault me
in wave after wave.
18 Why then did You bring me from the womb?
Oh, that I had died, and no eye had seen me!
19 If only I had never come to be,
but had been carried from the womb to the grave.
20 Are my days not few?
Withdraw from me, that I may have a little comfort,
21 before I go—never to return—
to a land of darkness and gloom,
22 to a land of utter darkness,
of deep shadow and disorder,
where even the light is like darkness.”
Footnotes:
12 a Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion ; the range of meaning includes love , goodness , kindness , faithfulness , and mercy , as well as loyalty to a covenant .
Job's Plea to God
1My soul hath been weary of my life, I leave off my talking to myself, I speak in the bitterness of my soul.
2I say unto God, 'Do not condemn me, Let me know why Thou dost strive with me.
3Is it good for Thee that Thou dost oppress? That Thou despisest the labour of Thy hands, And on the counsel of the wicked hast shone?
4Eyes of flesh hast Thou? As man seeth -- seest Thou?
5As the days of man are Thy days? Thy years as the days of a man?
6That Thou inquirest for mine iniquity, And for my sin seekest?
7For Thou knowest that I am not wicked, And there is no deliverer from Thy hand.
8Thy hands have taken pains about me, And they make me together round about, And Thou swallowest me up!
9Remember, I pray Thee, That as clay Thou hast made me, And unto dust Thou dost bring me back.
10Dost Thou not as milk pour me out? And as cheese curdle me?
11Skin and flesh Thou dost put on me, And with bones and sinews dost fence me.
12Life and kindness Thou hast done with me. And Thy inspection hath preserved my spirit.
13And these Thou hast laid up in Thy heart, I have known that this is with Thee.
14If I sinned, then Thou hast observed me, And from mine iniquity dost not acquit me,
15If I have done wickedly -- woe to me, And righteously -- I lift not up my head, Full of shame -- then see my affliction,
16And it riseth -- as a lion Thou huntest me. And Thou turnest back -- Thou shewest Thyself wonderful in me.
17Thou renewest Thy witnesses against me, And dost multiply Thine anger with me, Changes and warfare are with me.
18And why from the womb Hast Thou brought me forth? I expire, and the eye doth not see me.
19As I had not been, I am, From the belly to the grave I am brought,
20Are not my days few? Cease then, and put from me, And I brighten up a little,
21Before I go, and return not, Unto a land of darkness and death-shade,
22A land of obscurity as thick darkness, Death-shade -- and no order, And the shining is as thick darkness.'
