Job 16
What Happens in This Chapter
Job answers his three friends again. He tells them their long speeches only make him feel worse, and says he could talk that way too if they were the ones suffering. He then describes his pain, saying God has attacked him like an enemy while he has done nothing wrong. He ends by wishing someone could argue his case with God before his short life is over.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
Then Job answered and said,
1Then Job answered his friends.
2I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all.
2"I have heard talk like this many times. Not one of you makes me feel better."
3Shall vain words have an end? or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?
3"Will your long speeches ever end? What makes you keep on talking at me?"
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.
4"If you were hurting like me, I could talk the same way. I could pile up words 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.
5"But I would use my words to make you strong. What I said would ease your sadness."
6Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?
6"When I speak, my pain does not stop. When I stay quiet, it still does not leave."
7But now he hath made me weary: thou hast made desolate all my company.
7"God has worn me out. He has taken away everyone who belonged with me."
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.
8"He has tied me down, and people point at that as proof. My thin, worn body seems to speak against me."
9He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.
9"God's anger tears at me. He grinds his teeth at me. He stares at me with hard eyes, like an enemy."
10They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.
10"People open their mouths wide at me. They slap my face to shame me. They crowd together against me."
11God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.
11"God has handed me over to unfair people. He has dropped me into the grip of those who do wrong."
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.
12"My life was calm, and then he broke me apart. He grabbed my neck and shook me to pieces. He stood me up like a target to shoot at."
13His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.
13"His archers stand all around me. He cuts deep inside me and shows no pity. What is inside me spills onto the ground."
"Reins" is an old word for kidneys, and "gall" is a bitter liquid inside the body. Job means he is wounded deep inside.
14He breaketh me with breach upon breach, he runneth upon me like a giant.
14"He breaks me again and again. He runs at me like a huge, strong soldier."
15I have sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.
15"I have sewn rough cloth to wear against my skin. My strength lies down in the dust."
The rough cloth is sackcloth. People wore it when they were very sad. A "horn" stood for a person's strength, so a horn in the dust means his strength is gone.
16My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death;
16"My face is red from crying. Dark shadows ring my eyes."
17Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.
17"Yet my hands have hurt no one. And my prayers are honest."
18O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.
18"Earth, do not cover up my blood. Let my cry for help never be quiet."
19Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.
19"Even now, someone in heaven will speak for me. The one who knows the truth about me is high above."
"Record" in the old wording does not mean a written page. It means a witness, someone who can stand up and tell the truth about you.
20My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.
20"My friends laugh at me. So my eyes pour out tears to God."
21O that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbour!
21"I wish someone could argue my case with God. I wish it were like a friend speaking up for a friend."
22When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.
22"In a few years I will die. I will go where no one ever comes back from."
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