Job 23

Job’s Eighth Speech: A Response to Eliphaz

¹Then Job answered and said,[#Hebrew “And”]

²“Even today my complaint is bitter;

my hand is heavy in addition to my groaning.

³O that I knew and that I might find him;[#Literally “Who shall give”]

O that I might come to his dwelling.

⁴I would lay my case before him,[#Literally “to his face”]

and I would fill my mouth with arguments.

⁵I want to know the words with which he would answer me,

and I want to understand what he would say to me.

⁶Would he contend with me in the greatness of his strength?

No, but he himself would give heed to me.

⁷There an upright person could reason with him,

and I would be acquitted forever by my judge.

⁸“When I go forward, he is not there,[#Literally “and there is not he,” or “and he is not”]

or backward, I cannot see him.

⁹When he works on the left, I cannot perceive him;[#Literally “At his working”; #Literally “and I cannot see”]

he turns to the right, but I cannot see him.

¹⁰But he knows the way that I take;[#Literally “way with me”]

he tests me—I shall come out like gold.

¹¹My foot has held on to his steps;

I have kept his way, and I have not turned aside.

¹²From the commandment of his lips, indeed I have not departed;[#Hebrew “and”]

I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily food.

¹³“But he is alone, and who can dissuade him?[#Hebrew “And”; #Literally “as one”]

And whatever he desires, indeed, he does it.

¹⁴For he will carry out what he appoints for me,[#Literally “my portion,” or “my allotment”]

and many things like these are with him.

¹⁵Therefore, I am horrified because of his presence;

when I consider, I tremble because of him.

¹⁶Indeed, God has made my heart faint,[#Hebrew “And”]

and Shaddai has terrified me.

¹⁷Indeed, I have not been silenced because of darkness,[#Literally “from the face of darkness”]

and because of me he conceals thick darkness.