16 Forsooth Job answered, and said,

² I have oft heard such things; all ye be heavy comforters (the only comfort that all of ye offer is more torment).

³ Whether words full of wind shall have an end? either anything is dis-easeful to thee, if thou speakest (it)?

⁴ Also I might speak things like to you, and I would, that your soul were for my soul; and I would comfort you by words, and I would move mine head on you; (I could also speak words like you, and if you were in my place, I could discomfort you with such words, and I could wag my head at you.)

⁵ I would (rather) make you strong by my mouth, and I would move my lips as sparing you. (But I would rather make you strong with my mouth, yea, with encouraging words, and I would rather move my lips to say things to comfort you.)

⁶ But what shall I do? If I speak, my sorrow resteth not; and if I am still, it goeth not away from me.

⁷ But now my sorrow hath oppressed me, and all my limbs be driven into nought.

⁸ My rivellings say witnessing against me, and a false speaker is raised up against my face, and against-saith me. (My wrinkles testify against me, and a liar is raised up before me, and speaketh against me.)

⁹ He gathered together his strong vengeance in me, and he menaced me, and he gnashed against me with his teeth; mine enemy hath beheld me with fearedful eyes. (He gathered together his strong vengeance against me, and he threatened me, and he gnashed against me with his teeth; my enemy hath looked at me with eyes full of hatred.)

¹⁰ They opened their mouths upon me, and they said shame to me, and they smote my cheek; and they be filled with my pains (and they gathered themselves together against me).

¹¹ God hath closed me together at the wicked, and hath given me to the hands of wicked men. (God hath enclosed me with the wicked, and hath given me into the hands of the wicked.)

¹² I, that rich man and famous sometime, am all-broken suddenly; he held my noll; he hath broken me, and hath set me as into a sign. (I, that rich and sometimes famous man, am suddenly all-broken; he held me by the neck; he hath altogether broken me, and hath set me up like a target.)

¹³ And he hath (en)compassed me with his spears, he hath wounded altogether my loins; he hath not spared me, and he hath shed out mine entrails into the earth. (And he hath surrounded me with his spears, he hath deeply wounded my loins; he hath not spared me, and he hath poured out my bowels upon the ground.)

¹⁴ He hath beaten me with wound upon wound; and he as a giant hath fallen in upon me (and he hath fallen in on me like a giant).

¹⁵ I sewed together a sackcloth upon my skin; and I covered my flesh with ashes.

¹⁶ My face swelled of weeping (My face swelled from weeping), and mine eyelids waxed dark.

¹⁷ I suffered these things without (any) wickedness of mine hand, or work, (and) when I had clean prayers to God.

¹⁸ Earth, cover thou not my blood, and my cry find not in thee a place of hiding. (O earth, do not thou cover up my blood, and let not my cry for justice find any place of rest.)

¹⁹ For, lo! my witness is in heaven; and the Knower of my conscience is in high places.

²⁰ O! my friends, full of words; mine eye droppeth (out tears) to God.

²¹ And I would, that a man were deemed so with God, as the son of man is deemed with his fellow. (And I wish, that there was someone to plead with God for me, like the son of a man who pleadeth for his fellow, or for his friend.)

²² For lo! short years pass, and I go a path, by which I shall not turn again (by which I shall not return).