1 And Job made answer and said, 2 Even today my outcry is bitter; his hand is hard on my sorrow. 3 If only I had knowledge of where he might be seen, so that I might come even to his seat! 4 I would put my cause in order before him, and my mouth would be full of arguments. 5 I would see what his answers would be, and have knowledge of what he would say to me. 6 Would he make use of his great power to overcome me? No, but he would give attention to me. 7 There an upright man might put his cause before him; and I would be free for ever from my judge. 8 See, I go forward, but he is not there; and back, but I do not see him; 9 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 For he has knowledge of the way I take; after I have been tested I will come out like gold. 11 My feet have gone in his steps; I have kept in his way, without turning to one side or to the other. 12 I have never gone against the orders of his lips; the words of his mouth have been stored up in my heart. 13 But his purpose is fixed and there is no changing it; and he gives effect to the desire of his soul. 14 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 For this cause I am in fear before him, my thoughts of him overcome me. 16 For God has made my heart feeble, and my mind is troubled before the Ruler of all. 17 For I am overcome by the dark, and by the black night which is covering my face.
Job 23 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (16)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 2 Job 10:1; Job 7:11; Psalm 32:4; Job 6:2–3; Psalm 77:2–9
- 3 Job 16:21; Job 31:35–37; Hebrews 4:6; Jeremiah 14:7; Job 13:3
- 4 Job 13:18; Daniel 9:18–19; Job 37:19; Genesis 18:25–32; Joshua 7:8–9
- 5 1 Corinthians 4:3–4; Job 13:22–23; Job 10:2; Job 42:2–6
- 6 2 Corinthians 12:9–10; Job 13:21; Job 9:33–34; Ezekiel 20:35; Job 9:19
- 7 Job 13:3; Isaiah 1:18; Romans 8:1; Jeremiah 12:1; Jeremiah 3:5
- 8 Psalm 10:1; Job 9:11; Job 35:14; 1 Timothy 6:16; Psalm 13:1–3
- 9 Isaiah 8:17; Psalm 89:46
- 10 James 1:12; 1 Peter 1:7; James 1:2–4; Psalm 139:1–3; Zechariah 13:9
- 11 Psalm 44:18; 2 Peter 2:20–22; Psalm 17:5; Psalm 125:5; Romans 2:7
- 12 Jeremiah 15:16; Psalm 119:11; Psalm 119:103; John 4:34; Psalm 19:9–10
- 13 Psalm 115:3; Proverbs 19:21; Isaiah 46:10; Daniel 4:35; Job 12:14
- 14 1 Thessalonians 3:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Psalm 97:2; Romans 11:33; Isaiah 40:27–28
- 15 Psalm 119:120; Job 31:23; Psalm 77:3; Job 10:15; Job 23:3
- 16 Psalm 22:14; Job 27:2; Isaiah 6:5; Psalm 88:16; Deuteronomy 20:3
- 17 Job 19:8; Isaiah 57:1; 2 Kings 22:20; Job 18:6; Job 22:11
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Place there is none; we go both "backward" and "forward," and there is no place.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)