Job 23

Contemporary English Version

Job's Reply to Eliphaz

Today I Complain Bitterly

23 Job said:
²Today I complain bitterly,
because God has been cruel
    and made me suffer.
³If I knew where to find God,
I would go there
⁴    and argue my case.
⁵Then I would discover
    what he wanted to say.
⁶Would he overwhelm me
    with his greatness?
No! He would listen
⁷    because I am innocent,
and he would say,
    “I now set you free!”

⁸I cannot find God anywhere—
in front or back of me,
⁹    to my left or my right.
God is always at work,
    though I never see him.
¹⁰But he knows what I am doing,
and when he tests me,
    I will be pure as gold.
* ¹¹I have never refused to follow
    any of his commands,
¹²and I have always treasured
    his teachings.^[a]
¹³But he alone is God,
    and who can oppose him?
God does as he pleases,
¹⁴and he will do exactly
    what he intends with me.
* ¹⁵Merely the thought
of God All-Powerful
¹⁶    makes me tremble with fear.
¹⁷God has covered me
    with darkness,
    but I refuse to be silent.^[b]

Footnotes

23.12 treasured his teachings: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
23.17 silent: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 17.