Job 23

¹And Job answereth and saith: --

²Also -- to-day `is' my complaint bitter, My hand hath been heavy because of my sighing.

³O that I had known -- and I find Him, I come in unto His seat,

⁴I arrange before Him the cause, And my mouth fill `with' arguments.

⁵I know the words He doth answer me, And understand what He saith to me.

⁶In the abundance of power doth He strive with me? No! surely He putteth `it' in me.

⁷There the upright doth reason with Him, And I escape for ever from my judge.

⁸Lo, forward I go -- and He is not, And backward -- and I perceive him not.

⁹`To' the left in His working -- and I see not, He is covered `on' the right, and I behold not.

¹⁰For He hath known the way with me, He hath tried me -- as gold I go forth.

¹¹On His step hath my foot laid hold, His way I have kept, and turn not aside,

¹²The command of His lips, and I depart not. Above my allotted portion I have laid up The sayings of His mouth.

¹³And He `is' in one `mind', And who doth turn Him back? And His soul hath desired -- and He doth `it'.

¹⁴For He doth complete my portion, And many such things `are' with Him.

¹⁵Therefore, from His presence I am troubled, I consider, and am afraid of Him.

¹⁶And God hath made my heart soft, And the Mighty hath troubled me.

¹⁷For I have not been cut off before darkness, And before me He covered thick darkness.