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23 Atëherë Jobi u përgjigj dhe tha:

"Edhe sot vajtimi im është i dhimbshëm; dora ime është e dobët për shkak të rënkimit tim.

Ah, sikur të dija ku ta gjeja, që të mund të arrija deri në fronin e tij!

Do ta parashtroja çështjen time para tij, do ta mbushja gojën time me argumente.

Do të dija fjalët me të cilat do të më përgjigjej, dhe do të kuptoja atë që kishte për të më thënë.

A do të më kundërshtonte me forcë të madhe? Jo, përkundrazi do të më kushtonte vëmendje.

Atje njeriu i drejtë do të mund të diskutonte me të, kështu gjyqtari im do të më shpallte të pafajshëm përjetë.

Ja, po shkoj në lindje, por aty nuk është; në perëndim, por nuk e shoh;

vepron në veri, por nuk e shoh; kthehet nga jugu, por nuk arrij ta shikoj.

10 Por ai e njeh rrugën që unë kam marrë; sikur të më provonte, do të dilja si ari.

11 Këmba ime ka ndjekur me përpikmëri gjurmët e tij, i jam përmbajtur rrugës së tij pa devijuar;

12 nuk jam larguar nga urdhërimet e buzëve të tij, përfitova shumë nga fjalët që kanë dalë prej gojës së tij më tepër se nga racioni tim i ushqimit.

13 Por atij nuk i gjendet shoku, kush, pra, mund ta ndryshojë? Atë që do, ai e bën,

14 kështu ai do të realizojë plotësisht atë që ka dekretuar kundër meje, dhe plane të tilla ka mjaft të tjera.

15 Prandaj në prani të tij e ndjej veten të tmerruar; kur e mendoj këtë, ia kam frikën atij.

16 Perëndia ma ligështon zemrën, i Plotfuqishmi më tmerron.

17 Sepse nuk u asgjësova përpara territ; dhe ai nuk e fshehu terrin e dendur nga fytyra ime".

Job Proclaims God’s Righteous Judgments

23 Then Job answered and said:

“Even today my (A)complaint is bitter;
[a]My hand is listless because of my groaning.
(B)Oh, that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to His seat!
I would present my case before Him,
And fill my mouth with arguments.
I would know the words which He would answer me,
And understand what He would say to me.
(C)Would He contend with me in His great power?
No! But He would take note of me.
There the upright could reason with Him,
And I would be delivered forever from my Judge.

“Look,(D) I go forward, but He is not there,
And backward, but I cannot perceive Him;
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.

Footnotes

  1. Job 23:2 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX, Syr. His
  2. Job 23:12 Lit. appointed portion
  3. Job 23:17 Or by or before

Job Replies: Where Is God?

23 Then Job answered and said:

“Today also my (A)complaint is bitter;[a]
    my (B)hand is heavy on account of my groaning.
Oh, (C)that I knew where I might find him,
    that I might come even to his (D)seat!
I would (E)lay my case before him
    and fill my mouth with arguments.
I would know what he would answer me
    and understand what he would say to me.
Would he (F)contend with me in the greatness of his power?
    No; he would pay attention to me.
There an upright man could argue with him,
    and I would be acquitted forever by my judge.

“Behold, (G)I go forward, but he is not there,
    and backward, but I do not perceive him;
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.

Footnotes

  1. Job 23:2 Or defiant
  2. Job 23:13 Or one

Job Answers

23 Then Job answered:

“My complaint is still bitter today.
    I groan because God’s heavy hand is on me.
I wish I knew where to find God
    so I could go to where he lives.
I would present my case before him
    and fill my mouth with arguments.
I would learn how he would answer me
    and would think about what he would say.
Would he not argue strongly against me?
    No, he would really listen to me.
Then an honest person could present his case to God,
    and I would be saved forever by my judge.

“If I go to the east, God is not there;
    if I go to the west, I do not see him.
When he is at work in the north, I catch no sight of him;
    when he turns to the south, I cannot see him.
10 But God knows the way that I take,
    and when he has tested me, I will come out like gold.
11 My feet have closely followed his steps;
    I have stayed in his way;
    I did not turn aside.
12 I have never left the commands he has spoken;
    I have treasured his words more than my own.

13 “But he is the only God.
    Who can come against him?
    He does anything he wants.
14 He will do to me what he said he would do,
    and he has many plans like this.
15 That is why I am frightened of him;
    when I think of this, I am afraid of him.
16 God has made me afraid;
    the Almighty terrifies me.
17 But I am not hidden by the darkness,
    by the thick darkness that covers my face.