KJV ORIGINAL
If I be wicked, why then labour I in vain?
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
If I'm already considered guilty, then why am I working so hard for nothing?
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Job is expressing frustration that his efforts to prove his innocence seem pointless if God has already decided he's guilty.
📚 Historical Context
Job is responding to his friends who have been insisting that his suffering must be due to his sin. In ancient times, it was commonly believed that suffering was always punishment for wrongdoing. Job feels trapped - no matter what he does to defend himself or live righteously, it seems useless if God has already judged him as wicked.
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