Study Desk

Then Job ^[a]replied,

"Even today my ^(a)complaint is rebellion; ^[b]His hand is ^(b)heavy despite my groaning.

"Oh that I knew where I might find Him, That I might come to His seat!

"I would ^(c)present my case before Him And fill my mouth with arguments.

"I would learn the words which He would ^[c]answer, And perceive what He would say to me.

"Would He contend with me by ^(d)the greatness of His power? No, surely He would pay attention to me.

"There the upright would ^(e)reason with Him; And I ^[d]would be ^(f)delivered forever from my Judge.

"Behold, I go forward but He is not there, And backward, but I ^(g)cannot perceive Him;

When He acts on the left, I cannot behold Him; He turns on the right, I cannot see Him.

"But He knows the ^[e]way I take; When He has ^(h)tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

"My foot has ⁽ⁱ⁾held fast to His path; I have kept His way and not turned aside.

"I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the ^(j)words of His mouth ^[f]more than my ^[g]necessary food.

"But He is unique and who can turn Him? And what His soul desires, that He does.

"For He performs what is appointed for me, And many such decrees are with Him.

"Therefore, I would be dismayed at His presence; When I consider, I am terrified of Him.

"It is God who has made my ^(k)heart faint, And the Almighty who has dismayed me,

But I ^(l)am not silenced by the darkness, Nor ^(m)deep gloom which covers me.

"^(a)Why are ^[a]times not stored up by the Almighty, And why do those who know Him not see ^(b)His days?

"^[b]Some ^(c)remove the landmarks; They seize and ^[c]devour flocks.

"They drive away the donkeys of the ^(d)orphans; They take the ^(e)widow's ox for a pledge.

"They push ^(f)the needy aside from the road; The ^(g)poor of the land are made to hide themselves altogether.

"Behold, as ^(h)wild donkeys in the wilderness They ⁽ⁱ⁾go forth seeking food in their activity, As ^[d]bread for their children in the desert.

"They harvest their fodder in the field And glean the vineyard of the wicked.

"^(j)They spend the night naked, without clothing, And have no covering against the cold.

"They are wet with the mountain rains And hug the rock for want of a shelter.

"^[e]Others snatch the ^(k)orphan from the breast, And against the poor they take a pledge.

"They cause the poor to go about naked without clothing, And they take away the sheaves from the hungry.

"Within the walls they produce oil; They tread wine presses but thirst.

"From the city men groan, And the souls of the wounded cry out; Yet God ^(l)does not pay attention to folly.

"^[f]Others have been with those who rebel against the light; They do not want to know its ways Nor abide in its paths.

"The murderer ^(m)arises at dawn; He ⁽ⁿ⁾kills the poor and the needy, And at night he is as a thief.

"The eye of the ^(o)adulterer waits for the twilight, Saying, ‘No eye will see me.' And he ^[g]disguises his face.

"In the dark they ^(p)dig into houses, They ^(q)shut themselves up by day; They do not know the light.

"For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness, For he is familiar with the ^(r)terrors of thick darkness.

"They are ^[h](s)insignificant on the surface of the water; Their portion is ^(t)cursed on the earth. They do not turn ^[i]toward the ^(u)vineyards.

"Drought and heat ^[j](v)consume the snow waters, So does ^[k](w)Sheol those who have sinned.

"A ^[l](x)mother will forget him; The ^(y)worm feeds sweetly till he is ^(z)no longer remembered. And wickedness will be broken ^(aa)like a tree.

"He wrongs the ^[m]barren woman And does no good for ^(ab)the widow.

"But He drags off the valiant by ^(ac)His power; He rises, but ^(ad)no one has assurance of life.

"He provides them ^(ae)with security, and they are supported; And His ^(af)eyes are on their ways.

"They are exalted a ^(ag)little while, then they are gone; Moreover, they are ^(ah)brought low and like everything gathered up; Even like the heads of grain they are cut off.

"Now if it is not so, ^(ai)who can prove me a liar, And make my speech worthless?"