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Job 16
New International Version

### Job

16 Then Job replied:

2 “I have heard many things like these;
you are miserable comforters,(A) all of you!(B)
3 Will your long-winded speeches never end?(C)
What ails you that you keep on arguing?(D)
4 I also could speak like you,
if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
and shake my head(E) at you.
5 But my mouth would encourage you;
comfort(F) from my lips would bring you relief.(G)

6 “Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved;
and if I refrain, it does not go away.(H)
7 Surely, God, you have worn me out;(I)
you have devastated my entire household.(J)
8 You have shriveled me up—and it has become a witness;
my gauntness(K) rises up and testifies against me.(L)
9 God assails me and tears(M) me in his anger(N)
and gnashes his teeth at me;(O)
my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.(P)
10 People open their mouths(Q) to jeer at me;(R)
they strike my cheek(S) in scorn
and unite together against me.(T)
11 God has turned me over to the ungodly
and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.(U)
12 All was well with me, but he shattered me;
he seized me by the neck and crushed me.(V)
He has made me his target;(W)
13 his archers surround me.(X)
Without pity, he pierces(Y) my kidneys
and spills my gall on the ground.
14 Again and again(Z) he bursts upon me;
he rushes at me like a warrior.(AA)

15 “I have sewed sackcloth(AB) over my skin
and buried my brow in the dust.(AC)
16 My face is red with weeping,(AD)
dark shadows ring my eyes;(AE)
17 yet my hands have been free of violence(AF)
and my prayer is pure.(AG)

18 “Earth, do not cover my blood;(AH)
may my cry(AI) never be laid to rest!(AJ)
19 Even now my witness(AK) is in heaven;(AL)
my advocate is on high.(AM)
20 My intercessor(AN) is my friend[a](AO)
as my eyes pour out(AP) tears(AQ) to God;
21 on behalf of a man he pleads(AR) with God
as one pleads for a friend.

22 “Only a few years will pass
before I take the path of no return.(AS)

#### Footnotes

1. Job 16:20 Or My friends treat me with scorn

#### Cross references

1. Job 16:2 : Ps 69:20
2. Job 16:2 : S Job 6:15
3. Job 16:3 : Job 11:2; 18:2
4. Job 16:3 : S Job 6:26
5. Job 16:4 : S 2Ki 19:21; Ps 22:7; Isa 37:22; Jer 48:27; La 2:15; Zep 2:15; S Mt 27:39
6. Job 16:5 : Job 29:25
7. Job 16:5 : S Ge 37:35
8. Job 16:6 : S Job 6:3; S 7:21
9. Job 16:7 : S Jdg 8:5; S Job 7:3
10. Job 16:7 : S Job 1:19
11. Job 16:8 : Job 17:7; 19:20; 33:21; Ps 6:7; 22:17; 88:9; 102:5; 109:24; La 5:17
12. Job 16:8 : S Job 10:17
13. Job 16:9 : S Job 12:14; Hos 6:1
14. Job 16:9 : S Job 9:5; 18:4; 19:11
15. Job 16:9 : Job 30:21; Ps 35:16; 37:12; 112:10; La 2:16; Ac 7:54
16. Job 16:9 : S Job 13:24
17. Job 16:10 : Ps 22:13; 35:21
18. Job 16:10 : Job 12:4; 19:18; 21:3; 30:1, 9; Ps 22:13; 69:12; 119:51
19. Job 16:10 : Isa 50:6; La 3:30; Mic 5:1; Ac 23:2
20. Job 16:10 : ver 7; S Job 11:3; 19:12; 30:12; Ps 27:3; 35:15; Ac 7:57
21. Job 16:11 : S Job 9:24
22. Job 16:12 : S Job 9:17
23. Job 16:12 : S Job 6:4; La 3:12
24. Job 16:13 : S Job 3:23
25. Job 16:13 : Job 20:24; Pr 7:23; La 3:13
26. Job 16:14 : Job 9:17
27. Job 16:14 : S Job 10:3; Joel 2:7
28. Job 16:15 : S Ge 37:34
29. Job 16:15 : S Job 2:8
30. Job 16:16 : ver 20; Ps 6:6
31. Job 16:16 : Job 2:7; 17:7; 30:17, 30; 33:19; Isa 52:14
32. Job 16:17 : Isa 55:7; 59:6; Jer 18:11; Jnh 3:8
33. Job 16:17 : S Job 6:28; S 10:7; 13:7; Isa 53:9; Zep 3:13
34. Job 16:18 : S Ge 4:10; Isa 26:21
35. Job 16:18 : Ps 5:2; 18:6; 102:1; 119:169
36. Job 16:18 : Job 19:24; Ps 66:18-19; Heb 11:4
37. Job 16:19 : S Ge 31:50; S Ro 1:9; 1Th 2:5
38. Job 16:19 : Job 22:12; 42:2
39. Job 16:19 : Job 19:27; 21:17; 25:2; 27:13; 31:2; Ps 113:5; Isa 33:5; 57:15; 58:4; 66:1; Mk 11:10
40. Job 16:20 : S Ro 8:34
41. Job 16:20 : Jn 15:15
42. Job 16:20 : La 2:19
43. Job 16:20 : S ver 16
44. Job 16:21 : 1Ki 8:45; Ps 9:4; 140:12
45. Job 16:22 : S Job 10:21

New International Version (NIV)

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