| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then Job answered and said, | 1Then Job answered: |
| 2I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all. | 2I have heard many things like these. You are all miserable comforters. |
| 3Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest? | 3Is there no end to your empty words? What provokes you that you continue testifying? |
| 4I also could speak as ye do: if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you. | 4If you were in my place I could also talk like you. I could string words together against you and shake my head at you. |
| 5But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief. | 5Instead, I would encourage you with my mouth, and the consolation from my lips would bring relief. |
| 6Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased? | 6Even if I speak, my suffering is not relieved, and if I hold back, what have I lost? |
| 7But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company. | 7Surely He has now exhausted me. You have devastated my entire family. |
| 8And thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me: and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face. | 8You have shriveled me up--it has become a witness; My frailty rises up against me and testifies to my face. |
| 9He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me. | 9His anger tears at me, and He harasses me. He gnashes His teeth at me. My enemy pierces me with His eyes. |
| 10They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me. | 10They open their mouths against me and strike my cheeks with contempt; they join themselves together against me. |
| 11God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked. | 11God hands me over to unjust men; He throws me into the hands of the wicked. |
| 12I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark. | 12I was at ease, but He shattered me; He seized me by the scruff of the neck and smashed me to pieces. He set me up as His target; |
| 13His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground. | 13His archers surround me. He pierces my kidneys without mercy and pours my bile on the ground. |
| 14He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant. | 14He breaks through my defenses again and again; He charges at me like a warrior. |
| 15I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust. | 15I have sewn sackcloth over my skin; I have buried my strength in the dust. |
| 16My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death; | 16My face has grown red with weeping, and darkness covers my eyes, |
| 17Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure. | 17although my hands are free from violence and my prayer is pure. |
| 18O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place. | 18Earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry for help find no resting place. |
| 19Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high. | 19Even now my witness is in heaven, and my advocate is in the heights! |
| 20My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God. | 20My friends scoff at me as I weep before God. |
| 21O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour! | 21I wish that someone might arbitrate between a man and God just as a man pleads for his friend. |
| 22When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return. | 22For only a few years will pass before I go the way of no return. |
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