Job Chapter 16
King James Version (KJV)
Other Translations
asv (asv) - eBible.org engASV USFM
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And sealeth up the stars;
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That alone stretcheth out the heavens,
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And treadeth upon the waves of the sea;
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That maketh the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades,
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And the chambers of the south;
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That doeth great things past finding out,
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Yea, marvellous things without number.
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Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not:
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He passeth on also, but I perceive him not.
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Behold, he seizeth
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the prey, who can hinder him?
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Who will say unto him, What doest thou?
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God will not withdraw his anger;
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The helpers of Rahab do stoop under him.
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How much less shall I answer him,
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And choose out my words
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to reason with him?
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Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer;
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I would make supplication to my judge.
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If I had called, and he had answered me,
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Yet would I not believe that he hearkened unto my voice.
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For he breaketh me with a tempest,
darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext
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And Job answered and said,
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I have heard many such things: grievous comforters are ye all.
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Shall words of wind have an end? or what provoketh thee that thou answerest?
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I also could speak as ye: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could join together words against you, and shake my head at you;
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[But] I would encourage you with my mouth, and the solace of my lips should assuage [your pain].
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If I speak, my pain is not assuaged; and if I forbear, what am I eased?
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But now he hath made me weary; ...thou hast made desolate all my family;
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Thou hast shrivelled me up! it is become a witness; and my leanness riseth up against me, it beareth witness to my face.
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His anger teareth and pursueth me; he gnasheth with his teeth against me; [as] mine adversary he sharpeneth his eyes at me.
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They gape upon me with their mouth; they smite my cheeks reproachfully; they range themselves together against me.
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God hath delivered me over to the iniquitous man, and hurled me into the hands of the wicked.
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I was at rest, but he hath shattered me; he hath taken me by the neck and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
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His arrows encompass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
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He breaketh me with breach upon breach; he runneth upon me like a mighty man.
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I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and rolled my horn in the dust.
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My face is red with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
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Although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
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O earth, cover not my blood, and let there be no place for my cry!
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Even now, behold, my Witness is in the heavens, and he that voucheth for me is in the heights.
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My friends are my mockers; mine eye poureth out tears untoGod.
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Oh that there were arbitration for a man withGod, as a son of man for his friend!
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For years [few] in number shall pass, — and I shall go the way [whence] I shall not return.
lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM
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But Job answered and said,
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I have heard many such things: poor comforters are ye all.
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What! is there any reason in vain words? or what will hinder thee from answering?
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I also will speak as ye [do]: if indeed your soul were in my [soul's] stead, then would I insult you with words, and I would shake my head at you.
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And would there were strength in my mouth, and I would not spare the movement of my lips.
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For if I should speak, I shall not feel the pain of my wound: and if I should be silent, how shall I be wounded the less?
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But now he has made me weary, and a worn-out fool; and thou hast laid hold of me.
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My falsehood has become a testimony, and has risen up against me: it has confronted me to my face.
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In his anger he has cast me down; he has gnashed his teeth upon me: the weapons of his robbers have fallen upon me.
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He has attacked me with the keen glances of his eyes; with his sharp [spear] he has smitten me [down] upon my knees; and they have run upon me with one accord.
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For the Lord has delivered me into the hands of unrighteous men, and thrown me upon the ungodly.
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When I was at peace he distracted me: he took me by the hair of the head, and plucked it out: he set me up as a mark.
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They surrounded me with spears, aiming at my reins: without sparing [me] they poured out my gall upon the ground.
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They overthrew me with fall upon fall: they ran upon me in [their] might.
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They sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and my strength has been spent on the ground.
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My belly has been parched with wailing, and darkness is on my eyelids.
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Yet there was no injustice in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
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Earth, cover not over the blood of my flesh, and let my cry have no place.
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And now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is on high.
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Let my supplication come to the Lord, and let mine eye weep before him.
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Oh that a man might plead before the Lord, even [as] the son of man with his neighbour!
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But my years are numbered and [their end] come, and I shall go by the way by which I shall not return.
vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)
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Respondens autem Iob, dixit:
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Audivi frequenter talia, consolatores onerosi omnes vos estis.
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Numquid habebunt finem verba ventosa? aut aliquid tibi molestum est si loquaris?
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Poteram et ego similia vestri loqui: atque utinam esset anima vestra pro anima mea:
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Consolarer et ego vos sermonibus, et moverem caput meum super vos:
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Roborarem vos ore meo: et moverem labia mea, quasi parcens vobis.
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Sed quid agam? Si locutus fuero, non quiescet dolor meus: et si tacuero, non recedet a me.
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Nunc autem oppressit me dolor meus, et in nihilum redacti sunt omnes artus mei.
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Rugæ meæ testimonium dicunt contra me, et suscitatur falsiloquus adversus faciem meam contradicens mihi.
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Collegit furorem suum in me, et comminans mihi, infremuit contra me dentibus suis: hostis meus terribilibus oculis me intuitus est.
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Aperuerunt super me ora sua, et exprobrantes percusserunt maxillam meam, saciati sunt pœnis meis.
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Conclusit me Deus apud iniquum, et manibus impiorum me tradidit.
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Ego ille quondam opulentus repente contritus sum: tenuit cervicem meam, confregit me, et posuit me sibi quasi in signum.
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Circumdedit me lanceis suis, convulneravit lumbos meos, non pepercit, et effudit in terra viscera mea.
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Concidit me vulnere super vulnus, irruit in me quasi gigas.
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Saccum consui super cutem meam, et operui cinere carnem meam.
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Facies mea intumuit a fletu, et palpebræ meæ caligaverunt.
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Hæc passus sum absque iniquitate manus meæ, cum haberem mundas ad Deum preces.
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Terra ne operias sanguinem meum, neque inveniat in te locum latendi clamor meus.
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Ecce enim in cælo testis meus, et conscius meus in excelsis.
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Verbosi amivi mei: ad Deum stillat oculus meus.
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Atque utinam sic iudicaretur vir cum Deo, quomodo iudicatur filius hominis cum collega suo.
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Ecce enim breves anni transeunt, et semitam, per quam non revertar, ambulo.
web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV
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Then Job answered,
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“I have heard many such things. You are all miserable comforters!
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Shall vain words have an end? Or what provokes you that you answer?
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I also could speak as you do. If your soul were in my soul’s place, I could join words together against you, and shake my head at you,
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but I would strengthen you with my mouth. The solace of my lips would relieve you.
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“Though I speak, my grief is not subsided. Though I forbear, what am I eased?
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But now, God, you have surely worn me out. You have made all my company desolate.
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You have shriveled me up. This is a witness against me. My leanness rises up against me. It testifies to my face.
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He has torn me in his wrath and persecuted me. He has gnashed on me with his teeth. My adversary sharpens his eyes on me.
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They have gaped on me with their mouth. They have struck me on the cheek reproachfully. They gather themselves together against me.
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God delivers me to the ungodly, and casts me into the hands of the wicked.
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I was at ease, and he broke me apart. Yes, he has taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces. He has also set me up for his target.
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His archers surround me. He splits my kidneys apart, and does not spare. He pours out my bile on the ground.
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He breaks me with breach on breach. He runs at me like a giant.
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I have sewed sackcloth on my skin, and have thrust my horn in the dust.
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My face is red with weeping. Deep darkness is on my eyelids,
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although there is no violence in my hands, and my prayer is pure.
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“Earth, don’t cover my blood. Let my cry have no place to rest.
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Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven. He who vouches for me is on high.
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My friends scoff at me. My eyes pour out tears to God,
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that he would maintain the right of a man with God, of a son of man with his neighbor!
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For when a few years have come, I will go the way of no return.
ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8
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And Job answereth and saith: --
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I have heard many such things, Miserable comforters <FI>are<Fi> ye all.
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Is there an end to words of wind? Or what doth embolden thee that thou answerest?
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I also, like you, might speak, If your soul were in my soul's stead. I might join against you with words, And nod at you with my head.
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I might harden you with my mouth, And the moving of my lips might be sparing.
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If I speak, my pain is not restrained, And I cease--what goeth from me?
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Only, now, it hath wearied me; Thou hast desolated all my company,
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And Thou dost loathe me, For a witness it hath been, And rise up against me doth my failure, In my face it testifieth.
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His anger hath torn, and he hateth me, He hath gnashed at me with his teeth, My adversary sharpeneth his eyes for me.
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They have gaped on me with their mouth, In reproach they have smitten my cheeks, Together against me they set themselves.
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God shutteth me up unto the perverse, And to the hands of the wicked turneth me over.
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At ease I have been, and he breaketh me, And he hath laid hold on my neck, And he breaketh me in pieces, And he raiseth me to him for a mark.
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Go round against me do his archers. He splitteth my reins, and spareth not, He poureth out to the earth my gall.
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He breaketh me--breach upon breach, He runneth upon me as a mighty one.
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Sackcloth I have sewed on my skin, And have rolled in the dust my horn.
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My face is foul with weeping, And on mine eyelids <FI>is<Fi> death-shade.
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Not for violence in my hands, And my prayer <FI>is<Fi> pure.
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O earth, do not thou cover my blood! And let there not be a place for my cry.
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Also, now, lo, in the heavens <FI>is<Fi> my witness, And my testifier in the high places.
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My interpreter <FI>is<Fi> my friend, Unto God hath mine eye dropped:
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And he reasoneth for a man with God, And a son of man for his friend.
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When a few years do come, Then a path I return not do I go.
Explanations by Age Level
Explain Like I'm 5
A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!
Explain Like I'm 10
Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.
Explain Like I'm 15
Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).