² “My complaint today is still a bitter one,
    and I try hard not to groan aloud.
³ If only I knew where to find God,
    I would go to his court.
⁴ I would lay out my case
    and present my arguments.
⁵ Then I would listen to his reply
    and understand what he says to me.
⁶ Would he use his great power to argue with me?
    No, he would give me a fair hearing.
⁷ Honest people can reason with him,
    so I would be forever acquitted by my judge.
⁸ I go east, but he is not there.
    I go west, but I cannot find him.
⁹ I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden.
    I look to the south, but he is concealed.

¹⁶ God has made me sick at heart;
    the Almighty has terrified me.
¹⁷ Darkness is all around me;
    thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere.