1 Then Job answered and said:
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"Oh, that my grief were fully weighed,
And my calamity laid with it on the scales!
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For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea -
Therefore my words have been rash.
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a For the arrows of the Almighty are within me;
My spirit drinks in their poison;
b The terrors of God are arrayed c against me.
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Does the d wild donkey bray when it has grass,
Or does the ox low over its fodder?
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Can flavorless food be eaten without salt?
Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?
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My soul refuses to touch them;
They are as loathsome food to me.
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"Oh, that I might have my request,
That God would grant me the thing that I long for!
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That it would please God to crush me,
That He would loose His hand and e cut me off!
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Then I would still have comfort;
Though in anguish I would exult,
He will not spare;
For f I have not concealed the words of g the Holy One.
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"What strength do I have, that I should hope?
And what is my end, that I should prolong my life?
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Is my strength the strength of stones?
Or is my flesh bronze?
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Is my help not within me?
And is success driven from me?
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"To h him who is 1 afflicted, kindness should be shown by his friend,
Even though he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
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i My brothers have dealt deceitfully like a brook,
j Like the streams of the brooks that pass away,
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Which are dark because of the ice,
And into which the snow vanishes.
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When it is warm, they cease to flow;
When it is hot, they vanish from their place.
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The paths of their way turn aside,
They go nowhere and perish.
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The caravans of k Tema look,
The travelers of l Sheba hope for them.
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They are m disappointed 2 because they were confident;
They come there and are confused.
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For now n you are nothing,
You see terror and o are afraid.
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Did I ever say, 'Bring something to me'?
Or, 'Offer a bribe for me from your wealth'?
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Or, 'Deliver me from the enemy's hand'?
Or, 'Redeem me from the hand of oppressors'?
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"Teach me, and I will hold my tongue;
Cause me to understand wherein I have erred.
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How forceful are right words!
But what does your arguing prove?
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Do you intend to rebuke my words,
And the speeches of a desperate one, which are as wind?
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Yes, you overwhelm the fatherless,
And you p undermine your friend.
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Now therefore, be pleased to look at me;
For I would never lie to your face.
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q Yield now, let there be no injustice!
Yes, concede, my r righteousness 3 still stands!
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Is there injustice on my tongue?
Cannot my 4 taste discern the unsavory?