Job 23

Job replied again

1Then Job replied again,

2“Today I am again complaining bitterly/strongly to God;

I continue groaning, but he [SYN] continues to ◄punish me/cause me to suffer►.

3I ◄wish that I knew/want to know► where I could meet/talk with him,

so that I could go to the place where he lives.

4If I could do that, I would tell him why I know that I am innocent;

I would tell [MTY] to him all my ◄arguments/evidence to show that I have not done what is evil►.

5Then I would find out what he would reply to me [DOU].

6Would he use his great power to argue with me?

No, he would listen to me carefully.

7I am ◄an honest/a righteous► man; so I would be able to discuss things with him fairly,

and then he would declare that I am innocent, and that decision would endure forever.

8“But, I have gone to the east, and he is not there;

I have gone to the west, but I have not found him there.

9I have gone north and I have gone south,

but I have not seen him anywhere.

10But he knows how I have conducted my life;

and when he has finished testing me, he will see that I am as pure as [SIM] gold whose impurities have all been burned out.

11I [SYN] have faithfully walked on the path that he showed me;

I have not stopped obeying him.

12I have always obeyed what he [SYN] commanded;

I have treasured the words that he has spoken.

13“He never changes. There is no one who can [RHQ] stop him from doing what he desires.

Whatever he wants to do, he does.

14And he will finish doing for me the things that he has planned for me;

and I am sure that he has thought about doing many things for me.

15So I am terrified in his presence;

when I think about what he can do, I am very afraid [DOU].

16Almighty God has caused me [SYN] to feel terrified [DOU].

17It is as though there is only thick darkness in front of me,

but it is God that I am afraid of, not the darkness.”