Job 23:8–17

“Behold, I go forward, but he is not there,

and backward, but I do not perceive him;

on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him;

he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him.

But he knows the way that I take;

when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.

My foot has held fast to his steps;

I have kept his way and have not turned aside.

I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;

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

But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back?

What he desires, that he does.

For he will complete what he appoints for me,

and many such things are in his mind.

Therefore I am terrified at his presence;

when I consider, I am in dread of him.

God has made my heart faint;

the Almighty has terrified me;

yet I am not silenced because of the darkness,

nor because thick darkness covers my face.

“But if I go to the east, he is not there;

if I go to the west, I do not find him.

When he is at work in the north, I do not see him;

when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.

But he knows the way that I take;

when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

My feet have closely followed his steps;

I have kept to his way without turning aside.

I have not departed from the commands of his lips;

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

“But he stands alone, and who can oppose him?

He does whatever he pleases.

He carries out his decree against me,

and many such plans he still has in store.

That is why I am terrified before him;

when I think of all this, I fear him.

God has made my heart faint;

the Almighty has terrified me.

Yet I am not silenced by the darkness,

by the thick darkness that covers my face.

If I go east, he is not there,

and if I go west, I cannot perceive him.

When he is at work to the north, I cannot see him;

when he turns south, I cannot find him.

Yet he knows the way I have taken;

when he has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold.

My feet have followed in his tracks;

I have kept to his way and not turned aside.

I have not departed from the commands from his lips;

I have treasured the words from his mouth

more than my daily food.

But he is unchangeable; who can oppose him?

He does what he desires.

He will certainly accomplish what he has decreed for me,

and he has many more things like these in mind.

Therefore I am terrified in his presence;

when I consider this, I am afraid of him.

God has made my heart faint;

the Almighty has terrified me.

Yet I am not destroyed by the darkness,

by the thick darkness that covers my face.

I go east, but he is not there.

I go west, but I cannot find him.

I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden.

I look to the south, but he is concealed.

“But he knows where I am going.

And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.

For I have stayed on God’s paths;

I have followed his ways and not turned aside.

I have not departed from his commands,

but have treasured his words more than daily food.

But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind?

Whatever he wants to do, he does.

So he will do to me whatever he has planned.

He controls my destiny.

No wonder I am so terrified in his presence.

When I think of it, terror grips me.

God has made me sick at heart;

the Almighty has terrified me.

Darkness is all around me;

thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere.

“When I go forward, he is not there,

or backward, I cannot see him.

When he works on the left, I cannot perceive him;

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

But he knows the way that I take;

he tests me—I shall come out like gold.

My foot has held on to his steps;

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

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

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

“But he is alone, and who can dissuade him?

And whatever he desires, indeed, he does it.

For he will carry out what he appoints for me,

and many things like these are with him.

Therefore, I am horrified because of his presence;

when I consider, I tremble because of him.

Indeed, God has made my heart faint,

and Shaddai has terrified me.

Indeed, I have not been silenced because of darkness,

and because of me he conceals thick darkness.

Behold, I go forward, but he is not there;

And backward, but I cannot perceive him:

On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him:

He hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:

But he knoweth the way that I take:

When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

My foot hath held his steps,

His way have I kept, and not declined.

Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips;

I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

But he is in one mind, and who can turn him?

And what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.

For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me:

And many such things are with him.

Therefore am I troubled at his presence:

When I consider, I am afraid of him.

For God maketh my heart soft,

And the Almighty troubleth me:

Because I was not cut off before the darkness,

Neither hath he covered the darkness from my face.