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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Job 16:6

Instead, I suffer if I defend myself, and I suffer no less if I refuse to speak.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;  

Dictionaries:

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

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Assuage;   Grief;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If I speak, my suffering is not relieved,and if I hold back, does any of it leave me?
Hebrew Names Version
"Though I speak, my grief is not subsided. Though I forbear, what am I eased?
King James Version
Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?
English Standard Version
"If I speak, my pain is not assuaged, and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me?
New Century Version
"Even if I speak, my pain is not less, and if I don't speak, it still does not go away.
New English Translation
"But if I speak, my pain is not relieved, and if I refrain from speaking —how much of it goes away?
Amplified Bible
"If I speak [to you miserable comforters], my pain is not relieved; And if I refrain [from speaking], what [pain or anguish] leaves me?
New American Standard Bible
"If I speak, my pain is not lessened, And if I refrain, what pain leaves me?
World English Bible
"Though I speak, my grief is not subsided. Though I forbear, what am I eased?
Geneva Bible (1587)
Though I speake, my sorow can not be asswaged: though I cease, what release haue I?
Legacy Standard Bible
"If I speak, my pain is not lessened,And if I cease, what will go forth from me?
Berean Standard Bible
Even if I speak, my pain is not relieved, and if I hold back, how will it go away?
Contemporary English Version
If I speak, or if I don't, I hurt all the same. My torment continues.
Complete Jewish Bible
If I speak, my own pain isn't eased; and if I don't speak, it still doesn't leave.
Darby Translation
If I speak, my pain is not assuaged; and if I forbear, what am I eased?
Easy-to-Read Version
"Nothing I say makes my pain go away. But keeping quiet does not help either.
George Lamsa Translation
If I speak, my pain is not assuaged; and if I forbear, who can comfort me?
Good News Translation
But nothing I say helps, and being silent does not calm my pain.
Lexham English Bible
If I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I cease, how much will leave me?
Literal Translation
If I speak, my pain is not held back; and though I forbear, what goes from me?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But what shall I do? For all my wordes, my sorow wil not ceasse: and though I holde my toge, yet wil it not departe fro me.
American Standard Version
Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged; And though I forbear, what am I eased?
Bible in Basic English
If I say what is in my mind, my pain becomes no less: and if I keep quiet, how much of it goes from me?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Though I speak, my pain is not assuaged; and though I forbear, what am I eased?
King James Version (1611)
Though I speake, my griefe is not asswaged: and though I forbeare; what am I eased?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For all my wordes my sorowe wyll not ceasse: And though I holde my tongue, what am I eased?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And would there were strength in my mouth, and I would not spare the movement of my lips.
English Revised Version
Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased?
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But what schal Y do? If Y speke, my sorewe restith not; and if Y am stille, it goith not awei fro me.
Update Bible Version
Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged; And though I forbear, what am I eased?
Webster's Bible Translation
Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged: and [though] I forbear, what am I eased?
New King James Version
"Though I speak, my grief is not relieved; And if I remain silent, how am I eased?
New Life Bible
"If I speak, my pain is not made less. And if I keep quiet, it does not leave me.
New Revised Standard
"If I speak, my pain is not assuaged, and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me?
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Though I do speak, unassuaged is my stinging pain, - And, if I forbear, of what am I relieved?
Douay-Rheims Bible
(16-7) But what shall I do? If I speak, my pain will not rest: and if I hold my peace, it will not depart from me.
Revised Standard Version
"If I speak, my pain is not assuaged, and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me?
Young's Literal Translation
If I speak, my pain is not restrained, And I cease -- what goeth from me?
THE MESSAGE
"When I speak up, I feel no better; if I say nothing, that doesn't help either. I feel worn down. God, you have wasted me totally—me and my family! You've shriveled me like a dried prune, showing the world that you're against me. My gaunt face stares back at me from the mirror, a mute witness to your treatment of me. Your anger tears at me, your teeth rip me to shreds, your eyes burn holes in me—God, my enemy! People take one look at me and gasp. Contemptuous, they slap me around and gang up against me. And God just stands there and lets them do it, lets wicked people do what they want with me. I was contentedly minding my business when God beat me up. He grabbed me by the neck and threw me around. He set me up as his target, then rounded up archers to shoot at me. Merciless, they shot me full of arrows; bitter bile poured from my gut to the ground. He burst in on me, onslaught after onslaught, charging me like a mad bull.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If I speak, my pain is not lessened, And if I hold back, what has left me?

Contextual Overview

6 Instead, I suffer if I defend myself, and I suffer no less if I refuse to speak. 7 "O God, you have ground me down and devastated my family. 8 As if to prove I have sinned, you've reduced me to skin and bones. My gaunt flesh testifies against me. 9 God hates me and angrily tears me apart. He snaps his teeth at me and pierces me with his eyes. 10 People jeer and laugh at me. They slap my cheek in contempt. A mob gathers against me. 11 God has handed me over to sinners. He has tossed me into the hands of the wicked. 12 "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, 13 and now his archers surround me. His arrows pierce me without mercy. The ground is wet with my blood. 14 Again and again he smashes against me, charging at me like a warrior. 15 I wear burlap to show my grief. My pride lies in the dust.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

my grief: Job 10:1, Psalms 77:1-9, Psalms 88:15-18

what am I eased: Heb. what goeth from me

Reciprocal: Job 7:11 - I will not

Cross-References

Genesis 16:8
The angel said to her, "Hagar, Sarai's servant, where have you come from, and where are you going?" "I'm running away from my mistress, Sarai," she replied.
Genesis 16:9
The angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority."
Genesis 24:10
Then he loaded ten of Abraham's camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim. There he went to the town where Abraham's brother Nahor had settled.
Exodus 2:15
And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened, and he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian. When Moses arrived in Midian, he sat down beside a well.
Job 2:6
"All right, do with him as you please," the Lord said to Satan. "But spare his life."
Proverbs 14:29
People with understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness.
Proverbs 15:1
A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.
Proverbs 27:8
A person who strays from home is like a bird that strays from its nest.
Proverbs 29:19
Words alone will not discipline a servant; the words may be understood, but they are not heeded.
Ecclesiastes 10:4
If your boss is angry at you, don't quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged,.... Though he spoke to God in prayer, and entreated for some abatement of his sorrows, he got no relief; and though he spoke to himself in soliloquies, his sorrow was not repressed nor lessened; he could not administer comfort to himself in the present case, though he might to others in like circumstances, if his own were changed;

and [though] I forbear speaking, hold my peace, and say nothing,

what am I eased? or "what goes from me" t? not anything of my trouble or grief; sometimes a man speaking of his troubles to his friends gives vent to his grief, and he is somewhat eased; and on the other hand being silent about it, he forgets it, and it goes off; but in neither of those ways could Job be released: or it may be his sense is, that when he spake of his affliction, and attempted to vindicate his character, he was represented as an impatient and passionate man, if not as blasphemous, so that his grief was rather increased than assuaged; and if he was silent, that was interpreted a consciousness of his guilt; so that, let him take what course he would, it was much the same, he could get no ease nor comfort.

t מה מני יחלך "quid a me abit", Junius & Tremellius, Schultens.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged - “But for me, it makes now no difference whether I speak or am silent. My sufferings continue. If I attempt to vindicate myself before people, I am reproached; and equally so if I am silent. If I maintain my cause before God, it avails me nothing, for my sufferings continue. If I am silent, and submit without a complaint, they are the same. Neither silence, nor argument, nor entreaty, avail me before God or man. I am doomed to suffering.”

What am I eased? - Margin. “Goeth from me.” Literally, “what goeth from me?” The sense is, that it all availed nothing.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Job 16:6. Though I speak — But it will be of no avail thus to speak; for reprehensions of your conduct will not serve to mitigate my sufferings.


 
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