Job 23
23
Job Says He Longs for God
1Then Job answered and said,
2“Even today my complaint is contentious;
His hand is heavy despite my groaning.
3“Oh, that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might [even] come to His seat!
4“I would present my cause before Him
And fill my mouth with arguments.
5“I would learn the words which He would answer,
And understand what He would say to me.
6“Would He contend against me with His great power?
No, surely He would give attention to me. [Is 27:4, 5; 57:16]
7“There the righteous and upright could reason with Him;
So I would be acquitted forever by my Judge.
8¶“Behold, I go forward (to the east), but He is not there;
I go backward (to the west), but I cannot perceive Him;
9To the left (north) He turns, but I cannot behold Him;
He turns to the right hand (south), but I cannot see Him.
10“But He knows the way that I take [and He pays attention to it].
When He has tried me, I will come forth as [refined] gold [pure and luminous]. [Ps 17:3; 66:10; James 1:12]
11“My feet have carefully followed His steps;
I have kept His ways and not turned aside.
12“I have not departed from the commandment of His lips;
I have kept the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
13“But He is unique and unchangeable, and who can turn Him?
And what His soul desires, that He does.
14“For He performs what is planned (appointed) for me,
And He is mindful of many such things.
15“Therefore I would be terrified at His presence;
When I consider [all of this], I tremble in dread of Him.
16“For God has made my heart faint,
And the Almighty has terrified me,
17But I am not silenced by the darkness [of these woes that fell on me],
Nor by the thick darkness which covers my face.
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Job 23
23
Job's reply to Eliphaz
Today I complain bitterly
1Job said:
2Today I complain bitterly,
because God has been cruel
and made me suffer.
3If I knew where to find God,
I would go there
4and argue my case.
5Then I would discover
what he wanted to say.
6Would he overwhelm me
with his greatness?
No! He would listen
7because I am innocent,
and he would say,
“I now set you free!”
8I cannot find God anywhere—
in front of or behind me,
9to my left or my right.
God is always at work,
though I never see him.
10But he knows what I am doing,
and when he tests me,
I will be pure as gold.
11-12I have never refused to follow
any of his commands,
and I have always treasured
his teachings.#23.11,12 treasured his teachings: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
13But he alone is God,
and who can oppose him?
God does as he pleases,
14and he will do exactly
what he intends with me.
15-16Merely the thought
of God All-Powerful
makes me tremble with fear.
17God has covered me
with darkness,
but I refuse to be silent.#23.17 silent: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 17.
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012