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Job 23
The Voice
Job 23
The Voice
23 Job confided to his friends.
2 Job: So once again you are telling me my complaint amounts to rebellion,
that the heavy hand I feel upon me is smothering my groans?
3 Would that I knew where to find Him.
I would appear before Him.
4 I would lay my case out before Him;
I would fill up my mouth with arguments.
5 And then I would finally learn how He would answer me,
and I would understand what He tells me.
6 Would He oppose me merely with His great power? Surely not!
Surely He would show me the respect of listening to my argument.
7 There, in that courtroom, a moral man might hope to reason with Him,
and I would escape my Judge forever.
8 Alas, wherever I go, ahead or behind,
He is not there;
I am unable to find Him.
9 When He works on either side of me, I still cannot see Him.
I catch no glimpse of Him.
10 But He knows the course I have traveled.
And I believe that were He to prove me,
I would come out purer than gold from the fire.
11 My foot has been securely set in His tracks;
I have kept to His course of life without swerving;
12 I have not departed from the commands of His lips;
I have valued everything He says more than all else.
13 He alone is one True God; who can alter Him?
Whatever He desires within Himself, He does.
14 For He will carry out exactly what He has planned for me,
and in the future there are more plans to come.
15 Therefore, I am deeply troubled before Him;
when I ponder it at any length, I am terrified of Him.
16 Yes, God has melted my courage,
and the Highest One has overwhelmed me with His terror.
17 He could have turned me aside when the darkness came,
but He did not cut me off.
Nor does He hide my face from the gloom that has now overtaken me.
Job 23
New International Version
Job 23
New International Version
Job
23 Then Job replied:
2 “Even today my complaint(A) is bitter;(B)
his hand[a] is heavy in spite of[b] my groaning.(C)
3 If only I knew where to find him;
if only I could go to his dwelling!(D)
4 I would state my case(E) before him
and fill my mouth with arguments.(F)
5 I would find out what he would answer me,(G)
and consider what he would say to me.
6 Would he vigorously oppose me?(H)
No, he would not press charges against me.(I)
7 There the upright(J) can establish their innocence before him,(K)
and there I would be delivered forever from my judge.(L)
8 “But if I go to the east, he is not there;
if I go to the west, I do not find him.
9 When he is at work in the north, I do not see him;
when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.(M)
10 But he knows the way that I take;(N)
when he has tested me,(O) I will come forth as gold.(P)
11 My feet have closely followed his steps;(Q)
I have kept to his way without turning aside.(R)
12 I have not departed from the commands of his lips;(S)
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.(T)
13 “But he stands alone, and who can oppose him?(U)
He does whatever he pleases.(V)
14 He carries out his decree against me,
and many such plans he still has in store.(W)
15 That is why I am terrified before him;(X)
when I think of all this, I fear him.(Y)
16 God has made my heart faint;(Z)
the Almighty(AA) has terrified me.(AB)
17 Yet I am not silenced by the darkness,(AC)
by the thick darkness that covers my face.
The Voice (VOICE)
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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