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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Literal Standard Version

Job 16:12

I have been at ease, and He breaks me, || And He has laid hold on my neck, || And He breaks me in pieces, || And He raises me to Him for a mark.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Thompson Chain Reference - Afflictions;   Blessings-Afflictions;   Trials;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Afflictions;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Greatness of God;   Hypocrisy;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Job, the Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Games;   Job;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Asunder;   Games;   Mark;   Poetry, Hebrew;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Games and Sports;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I was at ease, but he shattered me;he seized me by the scruff of the neckand smashed me to pieces.He set me up as his target;
Hebrew Names Version
I was at ease, and he broke me apart. Yes, he has taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces. He has also set me up for his target.
King James Version
I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
English Standard Version
I was at ease, and he broke me apart; he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces; he set me up as his target;
New Century Version
Everything was fine with me, but God broke me into pieces; he held me by the neck and crushed me. He has made me his target;
New English Translation
I was in peace, and he has shattered me. He has seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has made me his target;
Amplified Bible
"I was [living] at ease, but He crushed me and broke me apart, And He has seized me by the neck and has shaken me to pieces; He has also set me up as His target.
New American Standard Bible
"I was at ease, but He shattered me, And He has grasped me by my neck and shaken me to pieces; He has also set me up as His target.
World English Bible
I was at ease, and he broke me apart. Yes, he has taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces. He has also set me up for his target.
Geneva Bible (1587)
I was in welth, but he hath brought me to nought: he hath taken me by the necke, and beaten me, and set me as a marke for himselfe.
Legacy Standard Bible
I was at ease, but He shattered me,And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces;He has also set me up as His target.
Berean Standard Bible
I was at ease, but He shattered me; He seized me by the neck and crushed me. He has set me up as His target;
Contemporary English Version
Everything was going well, until God grabbed my neck and shook me to pieces. God set me up as the target
Complete Jewish Bible
I was at peace, and he shook me apart. Yes, he grabbed me by the neck and dashed me to pieces. He set me up as his target —
Darby Translation
I was at rest, but he hath shattered me; he hath taken me by the neck and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
Easy-to-Read Version
I was enjoying a quiet, peaceful life, but then God crushed me. Yes, he took me by the neck and broke me into pieces. He has made me his target.
George Lamsa Translation
I was at ease, but he has smitten me; he has also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his target.
Good News Translation
I was living in peace, but God took me by the throat and battered me and crushed me. God uses me for target practice
Lexham English Bible
"I was at ease, then he broke me in two, and he seized me by my neck; then he shattered me and set me up as a target for him.
Literal Translation
I was at ease, but He has shattered me; yea, He has also taken hold on my neck and broken me to bits; and He has set me up as a target for Him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
I was somtyme in wealth, but sodenly hath he brought me to naught. He hath taken me by the neck, he hath rente me, and set me, as it were a marck for him to shute at.
American Standard Version
I was at ease, and he brake me asunder; Yea, he hath taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces: He hath also set me up for his mark.
Bible in Basic English
I was in comfort, but I have been broken up by his hands; he has taken me by the neck, shaking me to bits; he has put me up as a mark for his arrows.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
I was at ease, and He broke me asunder; yea, He hath taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces;
King James Version (1611)
I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my necke, and shaken me to pieces, and set me vp for his marke.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
I was in wealth, but he hath brought me to nought: he hath taken me by the necke, he hath all to shaken me, and set me as a marke for him selfe.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For the Lord has delivered me into the hands of unrighteous men, and thrown me upon the ungodly.
English Revised Version
I was at ease, and he brake me asunder; yea, he hath taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces: he hath also set me up for his mark.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Y thilke riche man and famouse sum tyme, am al to brokun sudeynli; `he helde my nol; he hath broke me, and hath set me as in to a signe.
Update Bible Version
I was at ease, and he broke me apart; Yes, he has taken me by the neck, and dashed me to pieces: He has also set me up for his mark.
Webster's Bible Translation
I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken [me] by my neck, and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.
New King James Version
I was at ease, but He has shattered me; He also has taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces; He has set me up for His target,
New Living Translation
"I was living quietly until he shattered me. He took me by the neck and broke me in pieces. Then he set me up as his target,
New Life Bible
I was living in comfort, but He has taken that away. He has taken hold of me by the neck and shaken me to pieces. He has set me up for something to shoot at.
New Revised Standard
I was at ease, and he broke me in two; he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces; he set me up as his target;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
At ease, was I when he shattered me, Yea he seized me by my neck, and dashed me in pieces, then set me up for himself as a mark:
Douay-Rheims Bible
(16-13) I that was formerly so wealthy, am all on a sudden broken to pieces: he hath taken me by my neck, he hath broken me, and hath set me up to be his mark.
Revised Standard Version
I was at ease, and he broke me asunder; he seized me by the neck and dashed me to pieces; he set me up as his target,
Young's Literal Translation
At ease I have been, and he breaketh me, And he hath laid hold on my neck, And he breaketh me in pieces, And he raiseth me to him for a mark.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"I was at ease, but He shattered me, And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces; He has also set me up as His target.

Contextual Overview

6If I speak, my pain is not restrained, || And I cease—what goes from me? 7Only, now, it has wearied me; You have desolated all my company, 8And You loathe me, || For it has been a witness, || And my failure rises up against me, || It testifies in my face. 9His anger has torn, and He hates me, || He has gnashed at me with His teeth, || My adversary sharpens His eyes for me. 10They have gaped on me with their mouth, || In reproach they have struck my cheeks, || Together they set themselves against me. 11God shuts me up to the perverse, || And turns me over to the hands of the wicked. 12I have been at ease, and He breaks me, || And He has laid hold on my neck, || And He breaks me in pieces, || And He raises me to Him for a mark.13His archers go around against me. He split my reins, and does not spare, || He pours out my gall to the earth. 14He breaks me—breach on breach, || He runs on me as a mighty one. 15I have sewed sackcloth on my skin, || And have rolled my horn in the dust.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

at ease: Job 1:2, Job 1:3, Job 3:26, Job 29:3, Job 29:18, Job 29:19

broken me: Job 4:10, Psalms 44:19, Lamentations 3:4, Matthew 21:44

by my neck: Job 15:26, Romans 16:4

shaken: Lamentations 3:11, Ezekiel 29:7

set me up: Job 7:12, Job 7:20, Lamentations 3:12

Reciprocal: Job 6:4 - the arrows Psalms 21:12 - make Psalms 88:17 - They Isaiah 30:32 - shaking Isaiah 38:13 - as a lion Lamentations 2:4 - bent

Cross-References

Genesis 16:5
And Sarai says to Abram, "My violence [is] for you; I have given my handmaid into your bosom, and she sees that she has conceived, and I am lightly esteemed in her eyes; YHWH judges between me and you."
Genesis 16:8
and He says, "Hagar, Sarai's handmaid, from where have you come, and to where do you go?" And she says, "From the presence of Sarai, my mistress, I am fleeing."
Genesis 21:20
and God is with the youth, and he grows, and dwells in the wilderness, and is an archer;
Genesis 27:40
and by your sword you live, and your brother serves you; and it has come to pass, when you rule, that you have broken his yoke from off your neck."
Job 11:12
And empty man is bold, || And man is born [as] the colt of a wild donkey.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder,.... He was in easy and affluent circumstances, abounding with the good things of this life, lay in his nest, as his expression is, Job 29:18; quietly and peaceably, where he expected he should have died; and he was easy in his mind, had peace of conscience, being a good man that feared God, and trusted in his living Redeemer, enjoying the presence of God, the light of his countenance, and the discoveries of his love, see

Job 39:2; but now he was broken to pieces, he was stripped of his worldly substance; his family was broken up, and not a child left him; his body broken, and full of ruptures through boils and ulcers; and his spirits were broken with his afflictions, and a sense of divine displeasure; the arrows of God's wrath, in his apprehension, stuck in him, and the poison thereof drank up his spirits. Mr. Broughton renders it, "I was wealthy, [and] he hath undone me"; though once so opulent, he was now broken, and become a bankrupt. It may be applied to Christ, his antitype, who, though rich, became poor to make his people rich, 2 Corinthians 8:9; and whose body was broken for them; and he was wounded and bruised for their transgressions, and whose heart was broken with reproach:

he hath also taken me by the neck, and shaken me to pieces; as a combatant in wrestling, who is stronger than his antagonist, uses him; or as a giant, who takes a dwarf by his neck or collar, and shakes him, as if he would shake him to pieces, limb from limb; or "hath dashed" or "broken me to pieces" f; or to shivers; as glass or earthen vessels dashed against a wall, or struck with a hammer, fly into a thousand pieces, can never be put together again; so Job reckoned of his state and condition as irrecoverable, that his health, his substance, his family, could never be restored as they had been:

and set me up for his mark; to shoot at, of which he complains Job 7:20; a like expression is used by the church in Lamentations 3:12; and a phrase similar to this is used of Christ, Luke 2:34; and in consequence of this are what follow.

f יפצפצני "confregit me", V. L. Pagninus; "minutatim confregit me", Tigurine version; so Schultens, Jarchi, & Ben Gersom.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I was at ease - I was in a state of happiness and security. The word used here (שׁלו shâlêv) means sometimes to be “at ease” in an improper sense; that is, to be in a state of “carnal security,” or living unconcerned in sin (Ezekiel 23:42; compare Proverbs 1:32); but here it is used in the sense of comfort. He had everything desirable around him.

But he hath broken me asunder - He has crushed me.

He hath also taken, me by my neck - Perhaps as an animal does his prey. We have all seen dogs seize upon their prey in this manner.

And set me up for his mark - Changing the figure, and saying that God had directed his arrows against him; so Jeremiah, Lamentations 3:12 :

He hath bent his bow,

And set me as a mark for the arrow.




 
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