Job 23

1 And Job answers and says:

Then Job answered and said,

2 “Also—today my complaint [is] bitter, My hand has been heavy because of my sighing.

“Even today my complaint is bitter; my hand is heavy because of my groaning.

3 O that I had known—and I find Him, I come to His seat,

Oh, that I knew where I might find him! Oh, that I might come to his place!

4 I arrange the cause before Him, And fill my mouth [with] arguments.

I would lay my case in order before him and fill my mouth with arguments.

5 I know the words He answers me, And understand what He says to me.

I would learn the words with which he would answer me and would understand what he would say to me.

6 Does He strive with me in the abundance of power? No! Surely He puts [it] in me.

Would he argue against me in the greatness of his power? No, he would pay attention to me.

7 There the upright reason with Him, And I escape from mine who is judging—forever.

There the upright person might argue with him. In this way I would be acquitted forever by my judge.

8 Behold, I go forward—and He is not, And backward—and I do not perceive Him.

See, I go eastward, but he is not there, and westward, but I cannot perceive him.

9 [To] the left in His working—and I do not see, He is covered [on] the right, and I do not behold.

To the north, where he is at work, but I cannot see him, and to the south, where he hides himself so that I cannot see him.

10 For He has known the way with me, He has tried me—I go forth as gold.

But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come out like gold.

11 My foot has laid hold on His step, I have kept His way, and do not turn aside,

My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept to his way and turned not aside.

12 The command of His lips, and I do not depart. I have laid up above my allotted portion The sayings of His mouth.

I have not gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.

13 And He [is] in one [mind], And who turns Him back? And His soul has desired—and He does [it].

But he is one of a kind, who can turn him back? What he desires, he does.

14 For He completes my portion, And many such things [are] with Him.

For he carries out his decree against me; there are many like them.

15 Therefore, I am troubled at His presence, I consider, and am afraid of Him.

Therefore, I am terrified in his presence; when I think about him, I am afraid of him.

16 And God has made my heart soft, And the Mighty has troubled me.

For God has made my heart weak; the Almighty has terrified me.

17 For I have not been cut off before darkness, And before me He covered thick darkness.”

I have not been brought to an end by darkness, because of the thick darkness that covers the gloom of my face.