The Book of Job
Chapter 16
1 – Then Job answered, and said:
2 – I have often heard such things as these: you are all troublesome comforters.
3 – Shall windy words have no end? or is it any trouble to thee to speak?
4 – I also could speak like you: and would God your soul were for my soul.
5 – I would comfort you also with words, and would wag my head over you.
6 – I would strengthen you with my mouth, and would move my lips, as sparing you.
7 – But what shall I do? If I speak, my pain will not rest: and if I hold my peace, it will not depart from me.
8 – But now my sorrow hath oppressed me, and all my limbs are brought to nothing.
9 – My wrinkles bear witness against me, and a false speaker riseth up against my face, contradicting me.
10 – He hath gathered together his fury against me, and threatening me he hath gnashed with his teeth upon me: my enemy hath beheld me with terrible eyes.
11 – They have opened their mouths upon me, and reproaching me they have struck me on the cheek, they are filled with my pains.
12 – God hath shut me up with the unjust man, and hath delivered me into the hands of the wicked.
13 – I that was formerly so wealthy, am all on a sudden broken to pieces: he hath taken me by my neck, he hath broken me, and hath set me up to be his mark.
14 – He hath compassed me round about with his lances, he hath wounded my loins, he hath not spared, and hath poured out my bowels on the earth.
15 – He hath torn me with wound upon wound, he hath rushed in upon me like a giant.
16 – I have sowed sackcloth upon my skin, and have covered my flesh with ashes.
17 – My face is swollen with weeping, and my eyelids are dim.
18 – These things have I suffered without the iniquity of my hand, when I offered pure prayers to God.
19 – O earth, cover not thou my blood, neither let my cry find a hiding place in thee.
20 – For behold my witness is in heaven, and he that knoweth my conscience is on high.
21 – My friends are full of words: my eye poureth out tears to God.
22 – And O that a man might so be judged with God, as the son of man is judged with his companion!
23 – For behold short years pass away and I am walking in a path by which l shall not return.
The Catholic Bible Online. Scriptures are from The Douay Rheims Catholic Bible 1582-1610 a.d. Version In the Public Domain. The Douay Rheims Bible is a translation of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate into English undertaken by members of the English College, Douai in the service of the Catholic Church.