2 "If only my grief could be weighed; or my calamity piled together on a balance scale!
2 Oh that my grief were throughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!
2 “Oh, that my grief could actually be weighedAnd placed in the balances together with my tragedy [to see if my grief is the grief of a coward]!
3 It would weigh more than the sand on the seashore! Here's why I've talked so rashly:
3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea: therefore my words are swallowed up.
3 For then it would outweigh the sand of the seas!That is why my words are rash.
3 “For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea;Therefore my words have been incoherent,
4 "The arrows of the Almighty have pierced me; my spirit absorbs their poison; God's terrors have been arranged just for me!
4 “For the (C)arrows of the Almighty are within me,(b)Their (D)poison my spirit drinks;The (E)terrors of God are arrayed against me.
4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.
4 Surely the arrows of the Almighty have pierced(a) me;my spirit drinks their poison.God’s terrors are arrayed against me.(C)
4 Because the arrows of the Almighty are within me,My spirit drinks their poison;The terrors of God are arrayed against me.
5 "Will the wild donkey bray from hunger if fresh grass is beside him? Will the ox low from distress if it is near its feed?
5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? or loweth the ox over his fodder?
5 Does a wild donkey bray over fresh grassor an ox low over its fodder?
5 “Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass?Or does the ox low over his fodder?
8 "Who will grant my wish? I wish God would grant what I'm hoping for:
8 “Oh that my request might come to pass,And that God would grant my longing!
8 Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for!
8 If only my request would be grantedand God would provide what I hope for:
8 “Oh that my request would come to pass,And that God would grant me the thing that I long for!
9 that God would just be willing to crush me; that he would let loose and eliminate me!
9 Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!
9 that He would decide to crush me,to unleash His power and cut me off!
9 “I wish that it would please God to crush me,That He would let loose His hand and cut me off.
10 At least I could still take comfort and rejoice in unceasing anguish, for I didn't conceal what the Holy One has to say.
10 “But it is still my consolation,And I rejoice in unsparing pain,That I (I)have not (d)denied the words of the Holy One.
10 Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow: let him not spare; for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.
10 It would still bring me comfort,and I would leap for joy in unrelenting painthat I have not denied(c) the words of the Holy One.(E)
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.
11 "Do I have the strength to wait? And why should I be patient?
11 What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?
11 What strength do I have that I should continue to hope?What is my future, that I should be patient?
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?
12 Am I as strong as a rock? Am I some kind of iron man?
12 “Is my strength the strength of stones,Or is my flesh bronze?
12 Is my strength the strength of stones? or is my flesh of brass?
12 Is my strength that of stone,or my flesh made of bronze?
12 “Is my strength and endurance that of stones,Or is my flesh made of bronze?
13 There is no help within me, is there? My resources have been driven away from me, haven't they?
13 Is not my help in me? and is wisdom driven quite from me?
13 Since I cannot help myself,the hope for success has been banished from me.
13 “Is it that I have no help within myself,And that success and wisdom have been driven from me?
14 The friend shows gracious love for his friend, even if he has forsaken the fear of the Almighty.
14 “For the (M)despairing man there should be kindness from his friend;So that he does not (N)forsake the (g)fear of the Almighty.
14 To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.
15 But my brothers have acted treacherously like a cascading river, like torrential rivers that overflow.
15 “My brothers have acted (O)deceitfully like a (h)wadi,Like the torrents of (i)wadis which vanish,
15 My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away;
15 My brothers are as treacherous as a wadi,as seasonal streams that overflow
15 “My brothers have acted deceitfully like a brook,Like the torrents of brooks that vanish,
17 But then the snow melts, and they disappear; when warmed, they evaporate from their stream beds.
17 What time they wax warm, they vanish: when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.
17 The wadis evaporate in warm weather;they disappear from their channels in hot weather.
17 When it is warm, they are silent and cease to flow;When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
18 Travelers divert in their route; they go into a wasteland and die.
18 The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing, and perish.
18 Caravans turn away from their routes,go up into the desert, and perish.
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.]
20 For all their expectations, they are doomed to disappointment; even though they have come and searched this far.
20 They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither, and were ashamed.
20 They are ashamed because they had been confident of finding water.When they arrive there, they are frustrated.(G)
20 “They were put to shame and disappointed because they had trusted [that they would find water];They came there and were ashamed.
21 "And now you're all just like them, aren't you? You see my terror and are terrified.
21 For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down, and are afraid.
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].
22 When did I ever ask you for anything, say "Offer a bribe for me from your wealth?'
22 “Have I said, ‘Give me something,’Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,’
22 Did I say, Bring unto me? or, Give a reward for me of your substance?
22 Have I ever said: “Give me something”or “Pay a bribe for me from your wealth”
22 “Did I ever say, ‘Give me something,’Or, ‘Pay a bribe for me from your wealth,’
23 or say "Deliver me from my enemy's control,' or "Redeem me from the domination of ruthless people'?"
23 Or, ‘Deliver me from the hand of the adversary,’Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?
23 Or, Deliver me from the enemy's hand? or, Redeem me from the hand of the mighty?
23 or “Deliver me from the enemy’s power”or “Redeem me from the grasp of the ruthless”?
23 Or, ‘Rescue me from the adversary’s hand,’Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?
24 "Instruct me, and I'll remain silent. Help me understand where I've gone astray.
24 Teach me, and I will hold my tongue: and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
24 Teach me, and I will be silent.Help me understand what I did wrong.
24 “Teach me, and I will be silent;And show me how I have erred.
25 The truth can be painful, but what has your argument proven?
25 “How painful are honest words!But what does your argument prove?
25 How forcible are right words! but what doth your arguing reprove?
25 How painful honest words can be!But what does your rebuke prove?
25 “How painful are words of honesty.But what does your argument prove?
26 Did you intend your words to reprove, even though the speech of a desperate person is just wind?
26 Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?
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]?
Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.
International Standard Version Copyright © 1996-2008 by the ISV Foundation.
King James Version Public Domain
New American Standard Bible Copyright ©1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org