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Job Continues His Response to Bildad

10 “My inner self[a] loathes my life;
I want to give vent to my complaint;[b]
I want to speak out of the bitterness of my inner self.[c]
I will say to God, ‘You should not condemn me;
let me know why you contend against me.
Is it good for you that you oppress,
that you despise the labor of your hands,
and you smile over the schemes of the wicked?
Do you have eyes of flesh?[d]
Or do you see as human beings see?[e]
Are your days as the days of human beings,
or your years as the days of man,
that you seek out my iniquity,
and you search for my sin
because of your knowledge that I am not guilty,
and there is no escaping from your hand?
Your hands fashioned me and made me[f] altogether,[g]
then[h] you destroyed me.
Please[i] remember that you made me like clay,
but[j] you turn me into dust again?
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
and curdle me[k] like cheese?
11 You clothed me with skin and flesh,
and you knit me together with bones and sinews.
12 You have granted me life and loyal love,
and your care has preserved my spirit.
13 “‘Yet[l] you hid these things in your heart;
I know that this was your purpose.[m]
14 If I had sinned, then[n] you would be watching me,
and you would not acquit me of my guilt.
15 If I am guilty, woe to me!
But[o] if I am righteous, I dare not lift my head;
I am filled with shame, and just look at my misery!
16 And if my head grows bold, you would hunt me as the lion in its prime;
and you repeat your exploits against me.[p]
17 You renew your witnesses against me,
and you increase your vexation against me;
relief forces[q] are against me.
18 So[r] why did you bring me forth from the womb?
I should have passed away, and no eye should have seen me.[s]
19 I should have been as though I had not been;
I should have been brought from the womb to the grave.
20 Are not my days few? Let him leave me alone;
let him turn from me, and let me rejoice a little.
21 Before I go—and I will not return—
to the land of darkness and deep shadow,
22 to the land of darkness,
like the darkness of a deep shadow and chaos,[t]
so that[u] it shines forth like darkness.’”

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:1 Or “soul”
  2. Job 10:1 Literally “I want to let go upon me my complaint”
  3. Job 10:1 Or “soul”
  4. Job 10:4 Literally “Are eyes of flesh for you”
  5. Job 10:4 Literally “as seeing of human beings you see”
  6. Job 10:8 Hebrew “they made me”
  7. Job 10:8 Literally “together all around”
  8. Job 10:8 Or “and”
  9. Job 10:9 Or an untranslatable particle expressing urgency
  10. Job 10:9 Hebrew “and”
  11. Job 10:10 Literally “you did curdle me”
  12. Job 10:13 Hebrew “And”
  13. Job 10:13 Literally “was with you”
  14. Job 10:14 Hebrew “and”
  15. Job 10:15 Hebrew “And”
  16. Job 10:16 Literally “and you do again you display marvelous powers against me”
  17. Job 10:17 Literally “substitute and forces
  18. Job 10:18 Hebrew “And”
  19. Job 10:18 Literally “and an eye should not have seen me”
  20. Job 10:22 Literally “and not order”
  21. Job 10:22 Or “and”

10 “I loathe my very life;(A)
    therefore I will give free rein to my complaint
    and speak out in the bitterness of my soul.(B)
I say to God:(C) Do not declare me guilty,
    but tell me what charges(D) you have against me.(E)
Does it please you to oppress me,(F)
    to spurn the work of your hands,(G)
    while you smile on the plans of the wicked?(H)
Do you have eyes of flesh?
    Do you see as a mortal sees?(I)
Are your days like those of a mortal
    or your years like those of a strong man,(J)
that you must search out my faults
    and probe after my sin(K)
though you know that I am not guilty(L)
    and that no one can rescue me from your hand?(M)

“Your hands shaped(N) me and made me.
    Will you now turn and destroy me?(O)
Remember that you molded me like clay.(P)
    Will you now turn me to dust again?(Q)
10 Did you not pour me out like milk
    and curdle me like cheese,
11 clothe me with skin and flesh
    and knit me together(R) with bones and sinews?
12 You gave me life(S) and showed me kindness,(T)
    and in your providence(U) watched over(V) my spirit.

13 “But this is what you concealed in your heart,
    and I know that this was in your mind:(W)
14 If I sinned, you would be watching me(X)
    and would not let my offense go unpunished.(Y)
15 If I am guilty(Z)—woe to me!(AA)
    Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head,(AB)
for I am full of shame
    and drowned in[a] my affliction.(AC)
16 If I hold my head high, you stalk me like a lion(AD)
    and again display your awesome power against me.(AE)
17 You bring new witnesses against me(AF)
    and increase your anger toward me;(AG)
    your forces come against me wave upon wave.(AH)

18 “Why then did you bring me out of the womb?(AI)
    I wish I had died before any eye saw me.(AJ)
19 If only I had never come into being,
    or had been carried straight from the womb to the grave!(AK)
20 Are not my few days(AL) almost over?(AM)
    Turn away from me(AN) so I can have a moment’s joy(AO)
21 before I go to the place of no return,(AP)
    to the land of gloom and utter darkness,(AQ)
22 to the land of deepest night,
    of utter darkness(AR) and disorder,
    where even the light is like darkness.”(AS)

Footnotes

  1. Job 10:15 Or and aware of