1 And Job made answer and said,

2 Such things have frequently come to my ears: you are comforters who only give trouble.

3 May words which are like the wind be stopped? or what is troubling you to make answer to them?

4 It would not be hard for me to say such things if your souls were in my soul's place; joining words together against you, and shaking my head at you:

5 I might give you strength with my mouth, and not keep back the comfort of my lips.

6 If I say what is in my mind, my pain becomes no less: and if I keep quiet, how much of it goes from me?

7 But now he has overcome me with weariness and fear, and I am in the grip of all my trouble.

8 It has come up as a witness against me, and the wasting of my flesh makes answer to my face.

9 I am broken by his wrath, and his hate has gone after me; he has made his teeth sharp against me: my haters are looking on me with cruel eyes;

10 Their mouths are open wide against me; the blows of his bitter words are falling on my face; all of them come together in a mass against me.

11 God gives me over to the power of sinners, sending me violently into the hands of evil-doers.

12 I was in comfort, but I have been broken up by his hands; he has taken me by the neck, shaking me to bits; he has put me up as a mark for his arrows.

13 His bowmen come round about me; their arrows go through my body without mercy; my life is drained out on the earth.

14 I am broken with wound after wound; he comes rushing on me like a man of war.

15 I have made haircloth the clothing of my skin, and my horn is rolled in the dust.

16 My face is red with weeping, and my eyes are becoming dark;

17 Though my hands have done no violent acts, and my prayer is clean.

18 O earth, let not my blood be covered, and let my cry have no resting-place!

19 Even now my witness is in heaven, and the supporter of my cause is on high.

20 My friends make sport of me; to God my eyes are weeping,

21 So that he may give decision for a man in his cause with God, and between a son of man and his neighbour.

22 For in a short time I will take the journey from which I will not come back.

1 Resposta de Job:

2 Já tinha ouvido tudo isso antes. Que miseráveis consoladores são vocês.

3 Não quererão parar de vez com essas torrentes de loucura? Que disse eu afinalque vos leve a um falatório desses, sem fim?

4 Seria eu capaz de fazer sermões semelhantes aos vossos,se estivesse no vosso lugar e vocês no meu? Jorraria assim tanta crítica contra vocês,meneando a cabeça em sinal de censura?

5 Não! Antes haveria de falar de forma a ajudar-vos; tentaria sim aliviar-vos da vossa dor.

6 Mas quanto a mim, a minha dor não cessa, diga eu o que disser, e mesmo quando me calo, em nada sou ajudado.

7 Deus deitou-me por terra a mim e tirou-me a família.

8 Ó Deus, deixaste-me unicamente com a pele e os ossos- o que é a prova, dizem eles, dos meus pecados.

9 Deus odeia-me e com ira me rasga as carnes; range os dentes contra mim e vigiapara que não se reacenda qualquer pequeno sinal ainda de vida.

11 E Deus assim entrega a gente perversa, às mãos de pecadores.

12 Estava a viver muito tranquilamentee eis que de repende me quebrantou. Pegou-me pelo pescoço, fez-me em pedaços; seguidamente pendurou-me e pôs-se como alvo.

13 Os seus atiradores cercam-me, atirando sobre mim,de tal forma que o chão está todo manchado do meu sangue.

14 Ataca-me repetidamente; arremete contra mim como um lutador.

15 E aqui estou, vestido dum saco; a minha esperança jaz no pó do chão.

16 Tenho os olhos vermelhos de chorar;nas minhas pálpebras pesa a sombra da morte

17 E contudo estou inocente; a minha oração é pura.

18 Ó terra, não retenhas o meu sangue, rejeita-o em sinal de protesto!

19 Mesmo assim, tenho ainda, neste momento, no céu,a testemunha da minha inocência; está lá o meu advogado, lá no alto.

22 Porque em breve descerei pela estradapela qual ninguém volta para trás.