Job 6

New American Standard Bible 2020

Job’s Friends Are No Help

1Then Job responded,2“1Oh if only my grief were actually weighed And laid in the balances together with my disaster!3For then it would be 2heavier than the sand of the seas; For that reason my words have been rash.4For the 3arrows of the Almighty are within me, 4My spirit drinks their 5poison; The 6terrors of God line up against me.5Does the 7wild donkey bray over his grass, Or does the ox low over his feed?6Can something tasteless be eaten without salt, Or is there any taste in the 8juice of an alkanet plant?7My soul 9refuses to touch them; They are like loathsome food to me.

8“Oh, that my request might come to pass, And that God would grant my hope!9Oh, that God would 10decide to crush me, That He would let loose His hand and cut me off!10But it is still my comfort, And I rejoice in unsparing pain, That I 11have not 12denied the words of the Holy One.11What is my strength, that I should wait? And what is my end, that I should 13 14endure?12Is my strength the strength of stones, Or is my flesh bronze?13Is it that my 15help is not within me, And that a 16good outcome is driven away from me?

14“For the 17despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; So that he does not 18abandon the 19fear of the Almighty.15My brothers have acted 20deceitfully like a 21wadi, Like the torrents of 22wadis which drain away,16Which are darkened because of ice, And into which the snow 23melts.17When 24they dry up, they vanish; When it is hot, they disappear from their place.18The 25paths of their course wind along, They go up into wasteland and perish.19The caravans of 26Tema looked, The travelers of 27Sheba hoped for them.20They 28were put to shame, for they had trusted, They came there and were humiliated.21Indeed, you have now become such, 29You see terrors and are afraid.22Have I said, ‘Give me something,’ Or, ‘Offer a bribe for me from your wealth,’23Or, ‘Save me from the hand of the enemy,’ Or, ‘Redeem me from the hand of the tyrants’?

24“Teach me, and 30I will be silent; And show me how I have done wrong.25How painful are honest words! But what does your argument prove?26Do you intend to rebuke my words, When the 31words of one in despair belong to the wind?27You would even 32cast lots for 33the orphans, And 34barter over your friend.28Now please look at me, And see if I am 35lying to your face.29Please turn away, let there be no injustice; Turn away, 36my righteousness is still in it.30Is there injustice on my tongue? Does 37my palate not discern disasters?

Notes

1. Job 6:2 Job 31:6 ↩
2. Job 6:3 Job 23:2 ↩
3. Job 6:4 Job 16:13; Ps 38:2 ↩
4. Job 6:4 Lit Whose poison my spirit drinks ↩
5. Job 6:4 Job 20:16; 21:20 ↩
6. Job 6:4 Job 30:15 ↩
7. Job 6:5 Job 39:5-8 ↩
8. Job 6:6 Heb hallamuth, meaning uncertain ↩
9. Job 6:7 Job 3:24; 33:20 ↩
10. Job 6:9 Num 11:15; 1 Kin 19:4; Job 7:16; 9:21; 10:1 ↩
11. Job 6:10 Job 22:22; 23:11, 12 ↩
12. Job 6:10 Lit hidden ↩
13. Job 6:11 Lit prolong my soul ↩
14. Job 6:11 Job 21:4 ↩
15. Job 6:13 Job 26:2 ↩
16. Job 6:13 Job 26:3 ↩
17. Job 6:14 Job 4:5 ↩
18. Job 6:14 Job 1:5; 15:4 ↩
19. Job 6:14 Or reverence for ↩
20. Job 6:15 Jer 15:18 ↩
21. Job 6:15 I.e., dry stream bed(s), except in the rainy season ↩
22. Job 6:15 I.e., dry stream bed(s), except in the rainy season ↩
23. Job 6:16 Lit hides itself ↩
24. Job 6:17 Job 24:19 ↩
25. Job 6:18 Or caravans turn from their course, they go up into the waste and perish ↩
26. Job 6:19 Gen 25:15; Is 21:14; Jer 25:23 ↩
27. Job 6:19 Job 1:15 ↩
28. Job 6:20 Jer 14:3 ↩
29. Job 6:21 Ps 38:11 ↩
30. Job 6:24 Ps 39:1 ↩
31. Job 6:26 Job 8:2; 15:2; 16:3 ↩
32. Job 6:27 Joel 3:3; Nah 3:10 ↩
33. Job 6:27 Job 22:9; 24:3, 9 ↩
34. Job 6:27 2 Pet 2:3 ↩
35. Job 6:28 Job 27:4; 33:3; 36:4 ↩
36. Job 6:29 Job 13:18; 19:6; 23:10; 27:5, 6; 34:5; 42:1-6 ↩
37. Job 6:30 Job 12:11 ↩

Job’s Friends Are No Help

Notes

Commentaries on Job 6