Job 23

Job’s Eighth Speech: A Response to Eliphaz

23Then^a Job answered and said,

²“Even today my complaint is bitter;

my hand is heavy in addition to my groaning.

³O that^b I knew and that I might find him;

O that I might come to his dwelling.

⁴I would lay my case before him,^c

and I would fill my mouth with arguments.

⁵I want to know the words with which he would answer me,

and I want to understand what he would say to me.

⁶Would he contend with me in the greatness of his strength?

No, but he himself^d would give heed to me.

⁷There an upright person could reason with him,

and I would be acquitted forever by my judge.

⁸“When I go forward, he is not there,^e

or^f backward, I cannot see him.^g

⁹When he works^h on the left, I cannot perceiveⁱ him;

he turns to the right, but^j I cannot see him.

¹⁰But he knows the way that I take;^k

he tests me—I shall come out like gold.

¹¹My foot has held on to his steps;

I have kept his way, and I have not turned aside.

¹²From the commandment of his lips, indeed^l I have not departed;

I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily food.

¹³“But^m he is alone,ⁿ and who can dissuade him?

And whatever he desires,^o indeed,^p he does it.

¹⁴For he will carry out what he appoints for me,^q

and many things like these are with him.

¹⁵Therefore, I am horrified because of his presence;

when I consider, I tremble^r because of him.

¹⁶Indeed,^s God has made my heart faint,

and Shaddai has terrified me.

¹⁷Indeed, I have not been silenced because of darkness,^t

and because of me he^u conceals thick darkness.