Job 23, side by side

¹Then Job answered:

¹Then Job answered and said,

²“Even today my complaint is bitter. His hand is heavy despite my groaning.

²Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning.

³If only I knew where to find Him, so that I could go to His seat.

³Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!

⁴I would plead my case before Him and fill my mouth with arguments.

⁴I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

⁵I would learn how He would answer, and consider what He would say.

⁵I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.

⁶Would He contend with me in His great power? No, He would certainly take note of me.

⁶Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.

⁷Then an upright man could reason with Him, and I would be delivered forever from my Judge.

⁷There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.

⁸If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot find Him.

⁸Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:

⁹When He is at work in the north, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the south, I cannot see Him.

⁹On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:

¹⁰Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

¹⁰But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

¹¹My feet have followed in His tracks; I have kept His way without turning aside.

¹¹My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

¹²I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my daily bread.

¹²Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

¹³But He is unchangeable, and who can oppose Him? He does what He desires.

¹³But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.

¹⁴For He carries out His decree against me, and He has many such plans.

¹⁴For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

¹⁵Therefore I am terrified in His presence; when I consider this, I fear Him.

¹⁵Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him.

¹⁶God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me.

¹⁶For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:

¹⁷Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.

¹⁷Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my face.