The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Then Iyov answered:
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And Job made answer and said,
2 "Today too my complaint is bitter; my hand is weighed down because of my groaning.
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Even today my outcry is bitter; his hand is hard on my sorrow.
3 I wish I knew where I could find him; then I would go to where he is.
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If only I had knowledge of where he might be seen, so that I might come even to his seat!
4 I would state my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments
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I would put my cause in order before him, and my mouth would be full of arguments
5 I would know his answering words and grasp what he would tell me.
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I would see what his answers would be, and have knowledge of what he would say to me.
6 Would he browbeat me with his great power? No, he would pay attention to me.
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Would he make use of his great power to overcome me? No, but he would give attention to me.
7 There an upright person could reason with him; thus I might be forever acquitted by my judge.
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There an upright man might put his cause before him; and I would be free for ever from my judge.
8 "If I head east, he isn't there; if I head west, I don't detect him,
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See, I go forward, but he is not there; and back, but I do not see him;
9 if I turn north, I don't spot him; in the south he is veiled, and I still don't see him.
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I am looking for him on the left hand, but there is no sign of him; and turning to the right, I am not able to see him.
10 Yet he knows the way I take; when he has tested me, I will come out like gold.
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For he has knowledge of the way I take; after I have been tested I will come out like gold.
11 My feet have stayed in his footsteps; I keep to his way without turning aside.
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My feet have gone in his steps; I have kept in his way, without turning to one side or to the other.
12 I don't withdraw from his lips' command; I treasure his words more than my daily food.
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I have never gone against the orders of his lips; the words of his mouth have been stored up in my heart.
13 "But he has no equal, so who can change him? What he desires, he does.
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But his purpose is fixed and there is no changing it; and he gives effect to the desire of his soul.
14 He will accomplish what is decreed for me, and he has many plans like this
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For what has been ordered for me by him will be gone through to the end: and his mind is full of such designs
15 This is why I am terrified of him; the more I think about it, the more afraid I am -
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For this cause I am in fear before him, my thoughts of him overcome me.
16 God has undermined my courage; Shaddai frightens me.
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For God has made my heart feeble, and my mind is troubled before the Ruler of all.
17 Yet I am not cut off by the darkness; he has protected me from the deepest gloom.
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For I am overcome by the dark, and by the black night which is covering my face.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.