Job’s Second Speech: A Response to Eliphaz

1 “Does not a human beinghave hard serviceon earth?

And are not hisdays like the days of a laborer?

2 Like a slave he longs for the shadow,

and like a laborer he waits for his wages.

3 So I had to inheritmonths of worthlessness,

and nights of misery are apportioned to me.

4 When I lie down, I say,‘When shall I rise?’

Butthe night is long,

and I have my fill of tossing until dawn.

5 My body is clothed with maggots and clods of dust;

my skin hardens, thenit gives way again.

6 “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle,

and they come to an end without hope.

7 Remember that my life is a breath;

my eye will not return to see good.

8 The eye of the one seeing me will not see me;

your eyes are upon me, butI will be gone.

9 A cloud vanishes, and it goes away,

so he who goes down to Sheol will not come up.

10 He does not return again to his house,

and his place does not recognize him again.

11 “EvenI will not restrain my mouth;

I will speak in my spirit’s anguish;

I will complain in my inner self’sbitterness.

12 Am I the sea, or a sea monster,

that you set a guard over me?

13 When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me,

and my couchwill ease my complaint,’

14 thenyou terrify me with dreams,

and with visions you terrifyme.

15 Somy inner selfwill choosestrangling—

death more than my existence.

16 I loathe my life; I would not live forever;

depart from me, for my days are a breath.

17 “What is a human being that you make him great

and that you fix your mind on him,

18 so thatyou visit him every morning,

you test him every moment?

19 How longwill you not turn away from me?

Or not leave me alone until I swallowmy spit?

20 If I have sinned, what have I done to you, watcher of humanity?

Why have you made me as a target for yourself,

so thatI have become a burden to myself?

21 And why do you not pardon my transgression

and take away my guilt?

For now I shall lie in the dust,

and you will seek me, butI will be no more.”