Job
23 Then Job replied:
2 “Even today my complaint(A) is bitter;(B)
his hand[a] is heavy in spite of[b] my groaning.(C)
3 If only I knew where to find him;
if only I could go to his dwelling!(D)
4 I would state my case(E) before him
and fill my mouth with arguments.(F)
5 I would find out what he would answer me,(G)
and consider what he would say to me.
6 Would he vigorously oppose me?(H)
No, he would not press charges against me.(I)
7 There the upright(J) can establish their innocence before him,(K)
and there I would be delivered forever from my judge.(L)
8 “But if I go to the east, he is not there;
if I go to the west, I do not find him.
9 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.(M)
10 But he knows the way that I take;(N)
when he has tested me,(O) I will come forth as gold.(P)
11 My feet have closely followed his steps;(Q)
I have kept to his way without turning aside.(R)
12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips;(S)
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.(T)
13 “But he stands alone, and who can oppose him?(U)
He does whatever he pleases.(V)
14 He carries out his decree against me,
and many such plans he still has in store.(W)
15 That is why I am terrified before him;(X)
when I think of all this, I fear him.(Y)
16 God has made my heart faint;(Z)
the Almighty(AA) has terrified me.(AB)
17 Yet I am not silenced by the darkness,(AC)
by the thick darkness that covers my face.
Footnotes
Cross references
- Job 23:2 : S Job 7:11
- Job 23:2 : S 1Sa 1:10; S Job 6:3
- Job 23:2 : Ps 6:6; 32:4; Jer 45:3; Eze 21:7
- Job 23:3 : Dt 4:29
- Job 23:4 : S Job 13:18
- Job 23:4 : S Job 9:15
- Job 23:5 : S Job 11:5
- Job 23:6 : S Job 9:4
- Job 23:6 : S Job 6:4
- Job 23:7 : S Job 1:1
- Job 23:7 : S Ge 3:8; S Job 9:3; 13:3
- Job 23:7 : S Job 6:29
- Job 23:9 : S Job 9:11
- Job 23:10 : Job 1:1; 27:6; 31:6; 36:7; Ps 7:9; 11:5; 34:15; 37:18; 94:11; 119:168; 146:8
- Job 23:10 : S Job 7:18; Ps 139:1-3
- Job 23:10 : S Job 6:29; S 22:15; S Ps 12:6; 1Pe 1:7
- Job 23:11 : Ps 17:5
- Job 23:11 : Job 31:7; Ps 40:4; 44:18; 119:51, 59, 157; 125:5; Jer 11:20
- Job 23:12 : S Job 6:10
- Job 23:12 : S Job 15:11; Mt 4:4; Jn 4:32, 34
- Job 23:13 : S Job 9:3
- Job 23:13 : S Job 10:13; Isa 55:11
- Job 23:14 : 1Th 3:3; 1Pe 4:12
- Job 23:15 : S Ge 45:3
- Job 23:15 : S Jos 24:14; Ps 34:9; 36:1; 111:10; Pr 1:7; Ecc 3:14; 12:13; 2Co 5:11
- Job 23:16 : S Dt 20:3
- Job 23:16 : Job 27:2
- Job 23:16 : S Ex 3:6; Rev 6:16
- Job 23:17 : S Job 3:6; S 19:8