¹ Then responded Job, and said:—

² Oh that, weighed, were my vexation, and, my engulfing ruin—into the balances, they would lift up all at once!

³ For, now, beyond the sand of the seas, would it be heavy, On this account, my words, have wandered.

⁴ For, the arrows of the Almighty, are in me, The heat whereof, my spirit is drinking up, The, terrors of GOD, array themselves against me.

⁵ Doth the wild ass bray over grass? Or loweth the ox over his fodder?

⁶ Can that which hath no savour be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

⁷ My soul hath refused to touch, Those things, are like disease in my food.

⁸ Oh that my request would come! and, my hope, oh that GOD would grant!

⁹ That it would please GOD to crush me, That he would set free his hand, and cut me off!

¹⁰ So might it still be my comfort, And I might exult in the anguish he would not spare,—That I had not concealed the sayings of the Holy One.

¹¹ What is my strength, that I should hope? Or what mine end, that I should prolong my desire?

¹² Is my strength, the strength of stones? Or is, my flesh, of bronze?

¹³ Is there any help at all in me? Is not, abiding success, driven from me?

¹⁴ The despairing, from his friend, should have lovingkindness, or, the reverence of the Almighty, he may forsake.

¹⁵ Mine own brethren, have proved treacherous like a torrent, like a channel of torrents which disappear:

¹⁶ Which darken by reason of the cold, over them, is a covering made by the snow:

¹⁷ By the time they begin to thaw, they are dried up, as soon as it is warm, they have vanished out of their place.

¹⁸ Caravans turn aside by their course, they go up into a waste, and are lost:

¹⁹ The caravans of Tema looked about, the travelling companies of Sheba, hoped for them:

²⁰ They are ashamed that they had trusted, They have come up to one of them, and are confounded.

²¹ For, now, ye have come to him, ye see something fearful, and fear.

²² Is it that I said, Make me a gift, or, out of your abundance, offer a bribe on my behalf;

²³ And deliver me from the hand of the adversary? And, out of the hand of tyrants, ransom me?

²⁴ Show me, and, I, will hold my peace, And, wherein I have erred, cause me to understand.

²⁵ How pleasant are the sayings that are right! But what can a decision from you, decide?

²⁶ To decide words, do ye intend, When, to the wind, are spoken the sayings of one in despair?

²⁷ Surely, the fatherless, ye would assail, and make merchandise of your friend!

²⁸ But, now, be pleased to turn to me, that it may be, to your faces, if I speak falsehood,

²⁹ Reply, I pray you, let there be no perversity, Yea reply even yet, my vindication is in it!

³⁰ Is there, in my tongue, perversity? Or can, my sense, not discern, engulfing ruin?