1Then Job answered:
1And Job answered and said:
2“Even today my complaint is bitter.
His hand is heavy despite my groaning.
2“Even this day my complaint is bitter; my hand is heavy upon my groaning.
3If only I knew where to find Him,
so that I could go to His seat.
3Who will grant that I might know and find Him, and come unto His seat!
4I would plead my case before Him
and fill my mouth with arguments.
4I would set forth to his face my case, and my mouth I would fill with arguments.
5I would learn how He would answer,
and consider what He would say.
5I would know the words He would answer me, and I would understand what He would say to me.
6Would He contend with me in His great power?
No, He would certainly take note of me.
6In the abundance of strength would He contend with me? No, surely He would set it upon me.
7Then an upright man could reason with Him,
and I would be delivered forever from my Judge.
7There the upright could argue with Him, and I would escape forever from the One judging me.
8If I go east, He is not there,
and if I go west, I cannot find Him.
8Behold, east I go, and He is not there, and west, and I do not perceive Him.
9When He is at work in the north, I cannot behold Him;
when He turns to the south, I cannot see Him.
9In the north, in His working, I do not behold Him; He turns to the south, and I do not see Him.
10Yet He knows the way I have taken;
when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
10Yet He knows the way with me; He has tested me, and like gold I will come forth.
11My feet have followed in His tracks;
I have kept His way without turning aside.
11My foot has held firm by His steps; His way I have kept, and I have not turned aside.
12I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth
more than my daily bread.
12And I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; more than my portion I have treasured the words of His mouth.
13But He is unchangeable, and who can oppose Him?
He does what He desires.
13And He is of one, and who can turn Him back? And His soul has desired, and He has done.
14For He carries out His decree against me,
and He has many such plans.
14For He carries out what is appointed for me, and many like these are with Him.
15Therefore I am terrified in His presence;
when I consider this, I fear Him.
15Upon thus, I am terrified before His face; I consider this, and I am afraid of Him.
16God has made my heart faint;
the Almighty has terrified me.
16And God has softened my heart, and Shaddai has terrified me.
17Yet I am not silenced by the darkness,
by the thick darkness that covers my face.
17For I was not cut off from the face of darkness, and before my face He has covered the dark gloom.