Job Chapter 23
King James Version (KJV)
Other Translations
asv (asv) - eBible.org engASV USFM
1
That the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this,
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In whose hand is the soul of every living thing,
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And the breath of all mankind?
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Doth not the ear try words,
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Even as the palate tasteth its food?
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With aged men is wisdom,
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And in length of days understanding.
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With
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God is wisdom and might;
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He hath counsel and understanding.
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Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again;
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He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.
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Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up;
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Again, he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.
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With him is strength and wisdom;
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The deceived and the deceiver are his.
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He leadeth counsellors away stripped,
darby (darby) - eBible.org Darby 1890 plaintext
1
And Job answered and said,
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Even to-day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning.
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Oh that I knew where I might find him, that I might come to his seat!
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I would order the cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments;
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I would know the words he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.
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Would he plead against me with [his] great power? Nay; but he would give heed unto me.
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There would an upright man reason with him; and I should be delivered for ever from my judge.
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Lo, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I do not perceive him;
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On the left hand, where he doth work, but I behold [him] not; he hideth himself on the right hand, and I see [him] not.
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But he knoweth the way that I take; he trieth me, I shall come forth as gold.
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My foot hath held to his steps; his way have I kept, and not turned aside.
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Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have laid up the words of his mouth more than the purpose of my own heart.
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But he is in one [mind], and who can turn him? And what his soul desireth, that will he do.
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For he will perform [what] is appointed for me; and many such things are with him.
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Therefore am I troubled at his presence; I consider, and I am afraid of him.
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ForGod hath made my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me;
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Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he hidden the gloom from me.
lxxbrent (lxxbrent) - Septuagint (Brenton 1851) eBible USFM
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Then Job answered and said,
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Yea, I know that pleading is out of my reach; and his hand has been made heavy upon my groaning.
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Who would then know that I might find him, and come to an end [of the matter]?
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And I would plead my own cause, and he would fill my mouth with arguments.
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And I would know the remedies which he would speak to me, and I would perceive what he would tell me.
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Though he should come on me in [his] great strength, then he would not threaten me;
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for truth and reproof are from him; and he would bring forth my judgment to an end.
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For if I shall go first, and exist no longer, still what do I know [concerning] the latter end?
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When he wrought on the left hand, then I observed [it] not: his right hand shall encompass me but I shall not see [it].
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For he knows already my way; and he has tried me as gold.
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And I will go forth according to his commandments, for I have kept his ways; and I shall not turn aside from his commandments,
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neither shall I transgress; but I have hid his words in my bosom.
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And if too he has thus judged, who is he that has contradicted, for he has both willed [a thing] and done it.
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Therefore am I troubled at him; and when I was reproved, I thought of him.
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But the Lord has softened my heart, and the Almighty has troubled me.
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For I knew not that darkness would come upon me, and thick darkness has covered [me] before my face.
vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)
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Respondens autem Iob, ait:
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Nunc quoque in amaritudine est sermo meus, et manus plagæ meæ aggravata est super gemitum meum.
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Quis mihi tribuat ut cognoscam et inveniam illum, et veniam usque ad solium eius?
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Ponam coram eo iudicium, et os meum replebo increpationibus.
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Ut sciam verba, quæ mihi respondeat, et intelligam quid loquatur mihi.
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Nolo multa fortitudine contendat mecum, nec magnitudinis suæ mole me premat.
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Proponat æquitatem contra me, et perveniat ad victoriam iudicium meum.
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Si ad Orientem iero, non apparet: si ad Occidentem, non intelligam eum.
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Si ad sinistram, quid agam? non apprehendam eum: si me vertam ad dexteram, non videbo illum.
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Ipse vero scit viam meam, et probavit me quasi aurum, quod per ignem transit:
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Vestigia eius secutus est pes meus, viam eius custodivi, et non declinavi ex ea.
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A mandatis labiorum eius non recessi, et in sinu meo abscondi verba oris eius.
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Ipse enim solus est, et nemo avertere potest cogitationem eius: et anima eius quodcumque voluit, hoc fecit.
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Cum expleverit in me voluntatem suam, et alia multa similia præsto sunt ei.
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Et idcirco a facie eius turbatus sum, et considerans eum, timore sollicitor.
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Deus mollivit cor meum, et Omnipotens conturbavit me.
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Non enim perii propter imminentes tenebras, nec faciem meam operuit caligo.
web (web) - WorldEnglish.Bible — CC0 modern update of ASV
1
Then Job answered,
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“Even today my complaint is rebellious. His hand is heavy in spite of my groaning.
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Oh that I knew where I might find him! That I might come even to his seat!
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I would set my cause in order before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.
5
I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would tell me.
6
Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No, but he would listen to me.
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There the upright might reason with him, so I should be delivered forever from my judge.
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“If I go east, he is not there. If I go west, I can’t find him.
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He works to the north, but I can’t see him. He turns south, but I can’t catch a glimpse of him.
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But he knows the way that I take. When he has tried me, I will come out like gold.
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My foot has held fast to his steps. I have kept his way, and not turned away.
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I haven’t gone back from the commandment of his lips. I have treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
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But he stands alone, and who can oppose him? What his soul desires, even that he does.
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For he performs that which is appointed for me. Many such things are with him.
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Therefore I am terrified at his presence. When I consider, I am afraid of him.
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For God has made my heart faint. The Almighty has terrified me.
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Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither did he cover the thick darkness from my face.
ylt (ylt) - Bible.com YLT98 plain UTF-8
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And Job answereth and saith: --
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Also--to-day <FI>is<Fi> my complaint bitter, My hand hath been heavy because of my sighing.
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O that I had known--and I find Him, I come in unto His seat,
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I arrange before Him the cause, And my mouth fill <FI>with<Fi> arguments.
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I know the words He doth answer me, And understand what He saith to me.
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In the abundance of power doth He strive with me? No! surely He putteth <FI>it<Fi> in me.
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There the upright doth reason with Him, And I escape for ever from my judge.
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Lo, forward I go--and He is not, And backward--and I perceive him not.
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<FI> To<Fi> the left in His working--and I see not, He is covered <FI>on<Fi> the right, and I behold not.
10
For He hath known the way with me, He hath tried me--as gold I go forth.
11
On His step hath my foot laid hold, His way I have kept, and turn not aside,
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The command of His lips, and I depart not. Above my allotted portion I have laid up The sayings of His mouth.
13
And He <FI>is<Fi> in one <FI>mind<Fi> , And who doth turn Him back? And His soul hath desired--and He doth <FI>it<Fi> .
14
For He doth complete my portion, And many such things <FI>are<Fi> with Him.
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Therefore, from His presence I am troubled, I consider, and am afraid of Him.
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And God hath made my heart soft, And the Mighty hath troubled me.
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For I have not been cut off before darkness, And before me He covered thick darkness.
Explanations by Age Level
Explain Like I'm 5
A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!
Explain Like I'm 10
Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.
Explain Like I'm 15
Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).