Job 23

Job

23Then Job replied:

²“Even today my complaint^v is bitter;^w

his hand^a is heavy in spite of^b my groaning.^x

³If only I knew where to find him;

if only I could go to his dwelling!^y

⁴I would state my case^z before him

and fill my mouth with arguments.^a

⁵I would find out what he would answer me,^b

and consider what he would say to me.

⁶Would he vigorously oppose me?^c

No, he would not press charges against me.^d

⁷There the upright^e can establish their innocence before him,^f

and there I would be delivered forever from my judge.^g

⁸“But if I go to the east, he is not there;

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

⁹When he is at work in the north, I do not see him;

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

¹⁰But he knows the way that I take;ⁱ

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

¹¹My feet have closely followed his steps;^l

I have kept to his way without turning aside.^m

¹²I have not departed from the commands of his lips;ⁿ

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

¹³“But he stands alone, and who can oppose him?^p

He does whatever he pleases.^q

¹⁴He carries out his decree against me,

and many such plans he still has in store.^r

¹⁵That is why I am terrified before him;^s

when I think of all this, I fear him.^t

¹⁶God has made my heart faint;^u

the Almighty^v has terrified me.^w

¹⁷Yet I am not silenced by the darkness,^x

by the thick darkness that covers my face.