Job 19:23–29

“Oh that my words were written!

Oh that they were inscribed in a book!

Oh that with an iron pen and lead

they were engraved in the rock forever!

For I know that my Redeemer lives,

and at the last he will stand upon the earth.

And after my skin has been thus destroyed,

yet in my flesh I shall see God,

whom I shall see for myself,

and my eyes shall behold, and not another.

My heart faints within me!

If you say, ‘How we will pursue him!’

and, ‘The root of the matter is found in him,’

be afraid of the sword,

for wrath brings the punishment of the sword,

that you may know there is a judgment.”

“Oh, that my words were recorded,

that they were written on a scroll,

that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead,

or engraved in rock forever!

I know that my redeemer lives,

and that in the end he will stand on the earth.

And after my skin has been destroyed,

yet in my flesh I will see God;

I myself will see him

with my own eyes—I, and not another.

How my heart yearns within me!

“If you say, ‘How we will hound him,

since the root of the trouble lies in him,’

you should fear the sword yourselves;

for wrath will bring punishment by the sword,

and then you will know that there is judgment.”

I wish that my words were written down,

that they were recorded on a scroll

or were inscribed in stone forever

by an iron stylus and lead!

But I know that my Redeemer lives,

and at the end he will stand on the dust.

Even after my skin has been destroyed,

yet I will see God in my flesh.

I will see him myself;

my eyes will look at him, and not as a stranger.

My heart longs within me.

If you say, “How will we pursue him,

since the root of the problem lies with him?”

then be afraid of the sword,

because wrath brings punishment by the sword,

so that you may know there is a judgment.

“Oh, that my words could be recorded.

Oh, that they could be inscribed on a monument,

carved with an iron chisel and filled with lead,

engraved forever in the rock.

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,

and he will stand upon the earth at last.

And after my body has decayed,

yet in my body I will see God!

I will see him for myself.

Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.

I am overwhelmed at the thought!

“How dare you go on persecuting me,

saying, ‘It’s his own fault’?

You should fear punishment yourselves,

for your attitude deserves punishment.

Then you will know that there is indeed a judgment.”

“O that my words could be written down!

O that they could be inscribed in a scroll!

That with a pen of iron and with lead

they might be engraved on a rock forever!

But I myself know that my redeemer is alive,

and at the last he will stand up upon the earth.

And after my skin has been thus destroyed,

but from my flesh I will see God,

whom I will see for myself,

and whom my eyes will see and not a stranger.

My heart faints within me.

“If you say, ‘How will we persecute him?’

And ‘The root of the trouble is found’ in me,

be afraid for yourselves because of the sword,

for wrath brings punishment by the sword,

so that you may know that there is judgment.”

Oh that my words were now written!

Oh that they were printed in a book!

That they were graven with an iron pen and lead

In the rock for ever!

For I know that my redeemer liveth,

And that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

And though after my skin worms destroy this body,

Yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Whom I shall see for myself,

And mine eyes shall behold, and not another;

Though my reins be consumed within me.

But ye should say, Why persecute we him,

Seeing the root of the matter is found in me?

Be ye afraid of the sword:

For wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword,

That ye may know there is a judgment.