Job Proclaims God’s Righteous Judgments

² “Even today my complaint is bitter;
My^[a] hand is listless because of my groaning.

³ 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 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, 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 He knows the way that I take;
When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.

¹¹ My foot has held fast to His steps;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.

¹² I have not departed from the commandment of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth
More than my necessary food.

¹³ “But He is unique, and who can make Him change?
And whatever His soul desires, that He does.

¹⁴ For He performs what is 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 made my heart weak,
And the Almighty terrifies me;

¹⁷ Because I was not cut off from the presence of darkness,
And He did not hide deep darkness from my face.