Job 6 Parallel Bible Translations

Job 6 ▼
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1 Then Job answered and said, Then Job answered and said: Then Job replied:
2 “Oh, that my grief could actually be weighed And placed in the balances together with my tragedy [to see if my grief is the grief of a coward]! “Oh that my vexation were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances! “If only my anguish could be weighed and all my misery be placed on the scales!
3 “For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; Therefore my words have been incoherent, For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; therefore my words have been rash. It would surely outweigh the sand of the seas— no wonder my words have been impetuous.
4 Because the arrows of the Almighty are within me, My spirit drinks their poison; The terrors of God are arrayed against me. For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me. The arrows of the Almighty are in me, my spirit drinks in their poison; God’s terrors are marshaled against me.
5 “Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass? Or does the ox low over his fodder? Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass, or the ox low over his fodder? Does a wild donkey bray when it has grass, or an ox bellow when it has fodder?
6 “Can something that has no taste to it be eaten without salt? Or is there any flavor in the white of an egg? Can that which is tasteless be eaten without salt, or is there any taste in the juice of the mallow? Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there flavor in the sap of the mallow?
7 “My soul refuses to touch them; Such things are like loathsome food to me [sickening and repugnant]. My appetite refuses to touch them; they are as food that is loathsome to me. I refuse to touch it; such food makes me ill.
8 “Oh that my request would come to pass, And that God would grant me the thing that I long for! “Oh that I might have my request, and that God would fulfill my hope, “Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant what I hope for,
9 “I wish that it would please God to crush me, That He would let loose His hand and cut me off. that it would please God to crush me, that he would let loose his hand and cut me off! that God would be willing to crush me, to let loose his hand and cut off my life!
10 “Then I would still have consolation, And I would jump for joy amid unsparing pain, That I have not denied or hidden the words of the Holy One. This would be my comfort; I would even exult in pain unsparing, for I have not denied the words of the Holy One. Then I would still have this consolation— my joy in unrelenting pain— that I had not denied the words of the Holy One.
11 “What strength do I have left, that I should wait [and hope]? And what is ahead of me, that I should be patient and endure? What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should be patient? “What strength do I have, that I should still hope? What prospects, that I should be patient?
12 “Is my strength and endurance that of stones, Or is my flesh made of bronze? Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh bronze? Do I have the strength of stone? Is my flesh bronze?
13 “Is it that I have no help within myself, And that success and wisdom have been driven from me? Have I any help in me, when resource is driven from me? Do I have any power to help myself, now that success has been driven from me?
14 “For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; So that he does not abandon (turn away from) the fear of the Almighty. “He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. “Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
15 “My brothers have acted deceitfully like a brook, Like the torrents of brooks that vanish, My brothers are treacherous as a torrent-bed, as torrential streams that pass away, But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams, as the streams that overflow
16 Which are dull and dirty because of ice, And into which the snow melts and hides itself; which are dark with ice, and where the snow hides itself. when darkened by thawing ice and swollen with melting snow,
17 When it is warm, they are silent and cease to flow; When it is hot, they vanish from their place. When they melt, they disappear; when it is hot, they vanish from their place. but that stop flowing in the dry season, and in the heat vanish from their channels.
18 “The paths of their course wind along, They go up into nothing and perish. [Your counsel is as helpful to me as a dry streambed in the heat of summer.] The caravans turn aside from their course; they go up into the waste and perish. Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go off into the wasteland and perish.
19 “The caravans of Tema looked [for water], The caravans of Sheba waited for them [in vain]. The caravans of Tema look, the travelers of Sheba hope. The caravans of Tema look for water, the traveling merchants of Sheba look in hope.
20 “They were put to shame and disappointed because they had trusted [that they would find water]; They came there and were ashamed. They are ashamed because they were confident; they come there and are disappointed. They are distressed, because they had been confident; they arrive there, only to be disappointed.
21 “Indeed, you have now become like a dried-up stream, You see a terror [believing me to be a victim of the wrath of God] and are afraid [to be compassionate]. For you have now become nothing; you see my calamity and are afraid. Now you too have proved to be of no help; you see something dreadful and are afraid.
22 “Did I ever say, ‘Give me something,’ Or, ‘Pay a bribe for me from your wealth,’ Have I said, ‘Make me a gift’? Or, ‘From your wealth offer a bribe for me’? Have I ever said, ‘Give something on my behalf, pay a ransom for me from your wealth,
23 Or, ‘Rescue me from the adversary’s hand,’ Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’? Or, ‘Deliver me from the adversary’s hand’? Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the ruthless’? deliver me from the hand of the enemy, rescue me from the clutches of the ruthless’?
24 “Teach me, and I will be silent; And show me how I have erred. “Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone astray. “Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong.
25 “How painful are words of honesty. But what does your argument prove? How forceful are upright words! But what does reproof from you reprove? How painful are honest words! But what do your arguments prove?
26 “Do you intend to reprove my words [with a convincing argument], When the words of one in despair belong to the wind [and go ignored]? Do you think that you can reprove words, when the speech of a despairing man is wind? Do you mean to correct what I say, and treat my desperate words as wind?
27 “You would cast lots (gamble) over the fatherless And bargain away your friend. You would even cast lots over the fatherless, and bargain over your friend. You would even cast lots for the fatherless and barter away your friend.
28 “Now please look at me, And see if I lie to your face [for you know that I would not]. “But now, be pleased to look at me, for I will not lie to your face. “But now be so kind as to look at me. Would I lie to your face?
29 “Turn away [from your suspicion], let there be no injustice; Turn away, my righteousness and vindication is still in it. Please turn; let no injustice be done. Turn now; my vindication is at stake. Relent, do not be unjust; reconsider, for my integrity is at stake.
30 “Is there injustice or malice on my tongue? Can my palate not discern what is destructive? Is there any injustice on my tongue? Cannot my palate discern the cause of calamity? Is there any wickedness on my lips? Can my mouth not discern malice?
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