English Standard Version

King James Bible

1Then Job answered and said:

1Then Job answered and said,

2“How long will you torment me and break me in pieces with words?

2How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

3These ten times you have cast reproach upon me; are you not ashamed to wrong me?

3These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.

4And even if it be true that I have erred, my error remains with myself.

4And be it indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.

5If indeed you magnify yourselves against me and make my disgrace an argument against me,

5If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach:

6know then that God has put me in the wrong and closed his net about me.

6Know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with his net.

7Behold, I cry out, ‘Violence!’ but I am not answered; I call for help, but there is no justice.

7Behold, I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard: I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.

8He has walled up my way, so that I cannot pass, and he has set darkness upon my paths.

8He hath fenced up my way that I cannot pass, and he hath set darkness in my paths.

9He has stripped from me my glory and taken the crown from my head.

9He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.

10He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone, and my hope has he pulled up like a tree.

10He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and mine hope hath he removed like a tree.

11He has kindled his wrath against me and counts me as his adversary.

11He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.

12His troops come on together; they have cast up their siege ramp against me and encamp around my tent.

12His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.

13“He has put my brothers far from me, and those who knew me are wholly estranged from me.

13He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.

14My relatives have failed me, my close friends have forgotten me.

14My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

15The guests in my house and my maidservants count me as a stranger; I have become a foreigner in their eyes.

15They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.

16I call to my servant, but he gives me no answer; I must plead with him with my mouth for mercy.

16I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.

17My breath is strange to my wife, and I am a stench to the children of my own mother.

17My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's sake of mine own body.

18Even young children despise me; when I rise they talk against me.

18Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me.

19All my intimate friends abhor me, and those whom I loved have turned against me.

19All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me.

20My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped by the skin of my teeth.

20My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.

21Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me!

21Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.

22Why do you, like God, pursue me? Why are you not satisfied with my flesh?

22Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

23“Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

23Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!

24Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!

24That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!

25For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.

25For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

26And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,

26And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

27whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!

27Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.

28If you say, ‘How we will pursue him!’ and, ‘The root of the matter is found in him,’

28But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

29be afraid of the sword, for wrath brings the punishment of the sword, that you may know there is a judgment.”

29Be ye afraid of the sword: for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.