Job 16:18

Modern

O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry for help never be laid to rest.

Traditional

O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.

Literal

O earth, may you not cover my blood, and let there not be a place for my cry!

Latin

Terra, ne operias sanguinem meum, neque inveniat in te locum latendi clamor meus:

Hebrew

English

O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry for help never be laid to rest.

Job's blood would testify that he was innocent and suffered without cause (compare Genesis 4:10–11; Isaiah 26:21; Ezekiel 24:7–8).

Job thought his suffering would lead to his death (7:7, 21; 10:20–22). He asked God to show his innocence, even if he died before that happened.

Theme notes and profiles

Isaiah 26:21
For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain.
Ezekiel 24:7
For the blood she shed is still within her; she poured it out on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground to cover it with dust.
Genesis 4:11
Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
Psalm 66:18–19
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
Nehemiah 4:5
Do not cover up their iniquity or let their sin be blotted out from Your sight, for they have provoked the builders.
Jeremiah 22:29
O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!
Job 27:9
Will God hear his cry when distress comes upon him?
Isaiah 58:9–10
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry out, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and malicious talk,
Isaiah 1:15
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.
James 4:3–4
And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures.