Job 6:1–7

1 Then Job replied:

2 “If only my anguish could be weighed

and all my misery be placed on the scales!

3 It would surely outweigh the sand of the seas—

no wonder my words have been impetuous.

4 The arrows of the Almighty are in me,

my spirit drinks in their poison;

God’s terrors are marshaled against me.

5 Does a wild donkey bray when it has grass,

or an ox bellow when it has fodder?

6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt,

or is there flavor in the sap of the mallow?

7 I refuse to touch it;

such food makes me ill.

1 Then Job answered and said:

2 “Oh that my vexation were weighed,

and all my calamity laid in the balances!

3 For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea;

therefore my words have been rash.

4 For the arrows of the Almighty are in me;

my spirit drinks their poison;

the terrors of God are arrayed against me.

5 Does the wild donkey bray when he has grass,

or the ox low over his fodder?

6 Can that which is tasteless be eaten without salt,

or is there any taste in the juice of the mallow?

7 My appetite refuses to touch them;

they are as food that is loathsome to me.

1 But Job answered and said,

2 Oh that my grief were throughly weighed,

And my calamity laid in the balances together!

3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea:

Therefore my words are swallowed up.

4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me,

The poison whereof drinketh up my spirit:

The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.

5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass?

Or loweth the ox over his fodder?

6 Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt?

Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

7 The things that my soul refused to touch

Are as my sorrowful meat.

1 Then Job spoke again:

2 “If my misery could be weighed

and my troubles be put on the scales,

3 they would outweigh all the sands of the sea.

That is why I spoke impulsively.

4 For the Almighty has struck me down with his arrows.

Their poison infects my spirit.

God’s terrors are lined up against me.

5 Don’t I have a right to complain?

Don’t wild donkeys bray when they find no grass,

and oxen bellow when they have no food?

6 Don’t people complain about unsalted food?

Does anyone want the tasteless white of an egg?

7 My appetite disappears when I look at it;

I gag at the thought of eating it!

1 Then Job answered and said:

2 “Oh, that my grief were fully weighed,

And my calamity laid with it on the scales!

3 For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea—

Therefore my words have been rash.

4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me;

My spirit drinks in their poison;

The terrors of God are arrayed against me.

5 Does the wild donkey bray when it has grass,

Or does the ox low over its fodder?

6 Can flavorless food be eaten without salt?

Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

7 My soul refuses to touch them;

They are as loathsome food to me.

1 Then Job answered:

2 “I wish my suffering could be weighed

and my misery put on scales.

3 My sadness would be heavier than the sand of the seas.

No wonder my words seem careless.

4 The arrows of the Almighty are in me;

my spirit drinks in their poison;

God’s terrors are gathered against me.

5 A wild donkey does not bray when it has grass to eat,

and an ox is quiet when it has feed.

6 Tasteless food is not eaten without salt,

and there is no flavor in the white of an egg.

7 I refuse to touch it;

such food makes me sick.

1 Then Job answered and said,

2 Oh that my vexation were but weighed,

And all my calamity laid in the balances!

3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas:

Therefore have my words been rash.

4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me,

The poison whereof my spirit drinketh up:

The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me.

5 Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass?

Or loweth the ox over his fodder?

6 Can that which hath no savor be eaten without salt?

Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

7 My soul refuseth to touch them;

They are as loathsome food to me.

1 And Job answered and said, 2 Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances! 3 For now it would be heavier than the sand of the seas; therefore my words are vehement. 4 For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, their poison drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of †God are arrayed against me. 5 Doth the wild ass bray by the grass? loweth an ox over his fodder? 6 Shall that which is insipid be eaten without salt? Is there any taste in the white of an egg? 7 What my soul refuseth to touch, that is as my loathsome food.

1 Then Job replied ⸤to his friends⸥, 

2 “If only my grief could be weighed, 

if only my misery could be laid on the scales with it, 

3 then they would be heavier than the sand of the seas. 

I spoke carelessly 

4 because the arrows of the Almighty ⸤have found their target⸥ in me, 

and my spirit is drinking their poison. 

God’s terrors line up in battle against me. 

5 “Does a wild donkey bray when it’s ⸤eating⸥ grass, 

or does an ox make a sound over its hay? 

6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt, 

or is there any flavor in the white of an egg? 

7 I refuse to touch such things. 

They are disgusting to me. 

1 Then Job answered:

2 If only my grief could be weighed

and my devastation placed with it in the scales.

3 For then it would outweigh the sand of the seas!

That is why my words are rash.

4 Surely the arrows of the Almighty have pierced me;

my spirit drinks their poison.

God’s terrors are arrayed against me.

5 Does a wild donkey bray over fresh grass

or an ox low over its fodder?

6 Is bland food eaten without salt?

Is there flavor in an egg white?

7 I refuse to touch them;

they are like contaminated food.

1 Then Job answered:

2 “O that my vexation were weighed

and all my calamity laid in the balances!

3 For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea;

therefore my words have been rash.

4 For the arrows of the Almighty are in me;

my spirit drinks their poison;

the terrors of God are arrayed against me.

5 Does the wild ass bray over its grass

or the ox low over its fodder?

6 Can that which is tasteless be eaten without salt,

or is there any flavor in the juice of mallows?

7 My appetite refuses to touch them;

they are like food that is loathsome to me.

1 Then Job answered and said,

2 “If only my vexation could be well weighed,

and my calamity could be lifted up together with it in the balances,

3 for then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas;

therefore my words have been rash,

4 for the arrows of Shaddai are in me;

my spirit drinks their poison;

the terrors of God are arrayed against me.

5 Does the wild ass bray over grass,

or the ox bellow over its fodder?

6 Can tasteless food be eaten without salt,

or is there taste in the white of a marshmallow plant?

7 I refused to touch them;

they are like food that will make me ill.

1 Job replied,

2 “I wish my great pain could be weighed!

I wish all of my suffering could be weighed on scales!

3 I’m sure they would weigh more than the grains of sand on the seashore.

No wonder I’ve been so quick to speak!

4 The Mighty One has shot me with his arrows.

I have to drink their poison.

God’s terrors are aimed at me.

5 Does a wild donkey cry out when it has enough grass?

Does an ox call out when it has plenty of food?

6 Is food that doesn’t have any taste eaten without salt?

Is there any flavor in the white of an egg?

7 I refuse to touch that kind of food.

It makes me sick.

1 Then Job answered,

2 “Oh that my grief were actually weighed

And laid in the balances together with my calamity!

3 “For then it would be heavier than the sand of the seas;

Therefore my words have been rash.

4 “For the arrows of the Almighty are within me,

Their poison my spirit drinks;

The terrors of God are arrayed against me.

5 “Does the wild donkey bray over his grass,

Or does the ox low over his fodder?

6 “Can something tasteless be eaten without salt,

Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

7 “My soul refuses to touch them;

They are like loathsome food to me.