Job 23
New King James Version
Job Proclaims God’s Righteous Judgments
23 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Even today my (A)complaint is bitter;
[a]My hand is listless because of my groaning.
3 (B)Oh, that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to His seat!
4 I would present my case before Him,
And fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would know the words which He would answer me,
And understand what He would say to me.
6 (C)Would He contend with me in His great power?
No! But He would take note of me.
7 There the upright could reason with Him,
And I would be delivered forever from my Judge.
8 “Look,(D) I go forward, but He is not there,
And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
9 When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him;
When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.
10 But (E)He knows the way that I take;
When (F)He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.
11 (G)My foot has held fast to His steps;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.
12 I have not departed from the (H)commandment of His lips;
(I)I have treasured the words of His mouth
More than my [b]necessary food.
13 “But He is unique, and who can make Him change?
And whatever (J)His soul desires, that He does.
14 For He performs what is (K)appointed for me,
And many such things are with Him.
15 Therefore I am terrified at His presence;
When I consider this, I am afraid of Him.
16 For God (L)made my heart weak,
And the Almighty terrifies me;
17 Because I was not (M)cut off [c]from the presence of darkness,
And He did not hide deep darkness from my face.
Job 23
English Standard Version
Job Replies: Where Is God?
23 Then Job answered and said:
2 “Today also my (A)complaint is bitter;[a]
my (B)hand is heavy on account of my groaning.
3 Oh, (C)that I knew where I might find him,
that I might come even to his (D)seat!
4 I would (E)lay my case before him
and fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would know what he would answer me
and understand what he would say to me.
6 Would he (F)contend with me in the greatness of his power?
No; he would pay attention to me.
7 There an upright man could argue with him,
and I would be acquitted forever by my judge.
8 “Behold, (G)I go forward, but he is not there,
and backward, but I do not perceive him;
9 on the left hand when he is working, I do not behold him;
he turns to the right hand, but I do not see him.
10 But he (H)knows (I)the way that I (J)take;
when he has (K)tried me, I shall come out as gold.
11 My foot (L)has held fast to his steps;
I have kept his way and have (M)not turned aside.
12 I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
I have (N)treasured the words of his mouth more than my (O)portion of food.
13 But he is unchangeable,[b] and (P)who can turn him back?
What he (Q)desires, that he does.
14 For he will complete what he (R)appoints for me,
and many such things are (S)in his mind.
15 Therefore I am terrified at his presence;
when I consider, I am in dread of him.
16 God has made my (T)heart faint;
the Almighty has terrified me;
17 yet I am not silenced because of the darkness,
nor because thick darkness covers my face.
Job 23
BRG Bible
23 Then Job answered and said,
2 Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning.
3 Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!
4 I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.
6 Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.
7 There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.
8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:
9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:
10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
11 My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.
12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
13 But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
14 For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.
15 Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him.
16 For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:
17 Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my face.
Job 23
Swedish New Living Bible (Nya Levande Bibeln)
Job vet inte vart han ska vända sig
23 Job svarade:
2 Min klagan är fortfarande bitter, och mitt lidande långt värre än vad mina synder förtjänar.
3 Om jag ändå visste hur jag skulle kunna finna Gud, så att jag kunde gå fram till hans tron och tala med honom där!
4-5 Då skulle jag lägga fram min sak som jag ser den och lyssna till hans svar.
6 Skulle han överväldiga mig med sin storhet? Nej, han skulle inte anklaga mig.
7 Ärliga och uppriktiga människor kan resonera med honom, och därför skulle han, min domare, förklara mig oskyldig.
8 Men jag letar förgäves. Jag söker honom i öster och han är inte där, och i väster finns han inte heller.
9 Kanske har han något att uträtta i norr? Jag söker honom men kan inte finna honom där, och inte heller när han beger sig söderut.
10 Men han vet om varje liten sak som händer mig och när han har prövat mig ska han förklara mig helt oskyldig, ren som det finaste guld!
11 Jag har hållit mig till Herrens vägar och följt hans spår. Jag har inte vikit av åt något håll.
12 Jag har inte förkastat hans bud utan i stället glatt mig åt hans ord mer än åt mitt dagliga bröd.
13 Men han är en och densamme, och vem kan få honom att ändra sina planer? Vad han än vill göra, det gör han.
14 Därför kommer han att behandla mig som han har tänkt, och än har jag inte sett slutet på han vägar med mig.
15 Inte undra på att jag känner mig skräckslagen i hans närhet! När jag tänker efter, blir jag fruktansvärt rädd.
16-17 Gud har tagit ifrån mig min frimodighet, han, den Allsmäktige, har skrämt mig. Men ändå kan han inte alldeles tysta mig, trots det tjocka, ogenomträngliga mörkret som finns överallt omkring mig.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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