6:2 “If only my grief could be weighed, if only my misery could be laid on the scales with it,
6:3 then they would be heavier than the sand of the seas. I spoke carelessly
6:4 because the arrows of Shadday have found their target in me, and my spirit is drinking their poison. Eloah’s terrors line up in battle against me.
6:5 “Does a wild donkey bray when it’s eating grass, or does an ox make a sound over its hay?
6:6 Is tasteless food eaten without salt, or is there any flavor in the white of an egg?
6:7 I refuse to touch such things. They are disgusting to me.
6:8 “How I wish that my prayer would be answered— that Eloah would give me what I’m hoping for,
6:9 that Eloah would finally be willing to crush me, that he would reach out to cut me off.
6:10 Then I would still have comfort. I would be happy despite my endless pain, because I have not rejected the words of the Holy One.
6:11 What strength do I have left that I can go on hoping? What goal do I have that I would want to prolong my life?
6:12 Do I have the strength of rocks? Does my body have the strength of bronze?
6:13 Am I not completely helpless? Haven’t my skills been taken away from me?
6:14 “A friend should treat a troubled person kindly, even if he abandons the fear of Shadday.
6:15 My brothers have been as deceptive as seasonal rivers, like the seasonal riverbeds that flood.
6:16 They are dark with ice. They are hidden by snow.
6:17 They vanish during a scorching summer. In the heat their riverbeds dry up.
6:18 They change their course. They go into a wasteland and disappear.
6:19 Caravans from Tema look for them. Travelers from Sheba search for them.
6:20 They are ashamed because they relied on the streams. Arriving there, they are disappointed.
6:21 “So you are as unreliable to me as they are. You see something terrifying, and you are afraid.
6:22 Did I ever say, ‘Give me a gift,’ or ‘Offer me a bribe from your wealth,’
6:23 or ‘Rescue me from an enemy,’ or ‘Ransom me from a tyrant’?
6:24 Teach me, and I’ll be silent. Show me where I’ve been wrong.
6:25 How painful an honest discussion can be! In correcting me, you correct yourselves!
6:26 Do you think my words need correction? Do you think they’re what a desperate person says to the wind?
6:27 Would you also throw dice for an orphan? Would you buy and sell your friend?
6:28 “But now, if you’re willing, look at me. I won’t lie to your face.
6:29 Please change your mind. Don’t permit any injustice. Change your mind because I am still right about this!
6:30 Is there injustice on my tongue, or is my mouth unable to tell the difference between right and wrong?
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