GodsWord - Job - 6

6:1  Then Job replied to his friends,

6:2  "If only my grief could be weighed, if only my misery could be laid on the scales with it,

6:3  then they would be heavier than the sand of the seas. I spoke carelessly

6:4  because the arrows of the Almighty have found their target in me, and my spirit is drinking their poison. God's terrors line up in battle against me.

6:5  "Does a wild donkey bray when it's eating grass, or does an ox make a sound over its hay?

6:6  Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there any flavor in the white of an egg?

6:7  I refuse to touch such things. They are disgusting to me.

6:8  "How I wish that my prayer would be answered-- that God would give me what I'm hoping for,

6:9  that God would finally be willing to crush me, that he would reach out to cut me off.

6:10  Then I would still have comfort. I would be happy despite my endless pain, because I have not rejected the words of the Holy One.

6:11  What strength do I have left that I can go on hoping? What goal do I have that I would want to prolong my life?

6:12  Do I have the strength of rocks? Does my body have the strength of bronze?

6:13  Am I not completely helpless? Haven't my skills been taken away from me?

6:14  "A friend should treat a troubled person kindly, even if he abandons the fear of the Almighty.

6:15  My brothers have been as deceptive as seasonal rivers, like the seasonal riverbeds that flood.

6:16  They are dark with ice. They are hidden by snow.

6:17  They vanish during a scorching summer. In the heat their riverbeds dry up.

6:18  They change their course. They go into a wasteland and disappear.

6:19  Caravans from Tema look for them. Travelers from Sheba search for them.

6:20  They are ashamed because they relied on the streams. Arriving there, they are disappointed.

6:21  "So you are as unreliable to me as they are. You see something terrifying, and you are afraid.

6:22  Did I ever say, 'Give me a gift,' or 'Offer me a bribe from your wealth,'

6:23  or 'Rescue me from an enemy,' or 'Ransom me from a tyrant'?

6:24  Teach me, and I'll be silent. Show me where I've been wrong.

6:25  How painful an honest discussion can be! In correcting me, you correct yourselves!

6:26  Do you think my words need correction? Do you think they're what a desperate person says to the wind?

6:27  Would you also throw dice for an orphan? Would you buy and sell your friend?

6:28  "But now, if you're willing, look at me. I won't lie to your face.

6:29  Please change your mind. Don't permit any injustice. Change your mind because I am still right about this!

6:30  Is there injustice on my tongue, or is my mouth unable to tell the difference between right and wrong?