*Then Job responded: *“Oh, if only my grief could be weighed, and my misfortune laid on the scales too! *But because it is heavier than the sand of the sea, that is why my words have been wild. *For the arrows of the Almighty are within me; my spirit drinks their poison; God’s sudden terrors are arrayed against me.
Complaints Reflect Suffering
*“Does the wild donkey bray when it is near grass? Or does the ox low near its fodder? *Can food that is tasteless be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?*I have refused to touch such things; they are like loathsome food to me.
A Cry for Death
*“Oh that my request would be realized, and that God would grant me what I long for! *And that God would be willing to crush me, that he would let loose his hand and kill me. *Then I would yet have my comfort, then I would rejoice, in spite of pitiless pain, for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One. *What is my strength, that I should wait? and what is my end, that I should prolong my life?*Is my strength like that of stones? or is my flesh made of bronze?*Is not my power to help myself nothing, and has not every resource been driven from me?
Disappointing Friends
*“To the one in despair, kindness should come from his friend even if he forsakes the fear of the Almighty.*My brothers have been as treacherous as a seasonal stream, and as the riverbeds of the intermittent streams that flow away. *They are dark because of ice; snow is piled up over them. *When they are scorched, they dry up, when it is hot, they vanish from their place.*Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go into the wasteland and perish. *The caravans of Tema looked intently for these streams; the traveling merchants of Sheba hoped for them.*They were distressed, because each one had been so confident; they arrived there, but were disappointed.*For now you have become like these streams that are no help; you see a terror, and are afraid.
Friends’ Fears
*“Have I ever said, ‘Give me something, and from your fortune make gifts in my favor’?*Or ‘Deliver me from the enemy’s power, and from the hand of tyrants ransom me’?
No Sin Discovered
*“Teach me and I, for my part, will be silent; explain to me how I have been mistaken. *How painful are honest words! But what does your reproof prove? *Do you intend to criticize mere words, and treat the words of a despairing man as wind?*Yes, you would gamble for the fatherless, and auction off your friend.
Other Explanation
*“Now then, be good enough to look at me; and I will not lie to your face!*Relent, let there be no falsehood; reconsider, for my righteousness is intact! *Is there any falsehood on my lips? Can my mouth not discern evil things?
