Job's Eighth Speech: A Response To Eliphaz

1 Then Job answered and said,

1 Then Job (a)replied,

1 Then Job answered:

1 Job's response was to say:

1 Then Job answered and said,

2 Even to day is my complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my groaning.

2 “Even today my (A)complaint is rebellion;(b)His hand is (B)heavy despite my groaning.

2 Today also my complaint is bitter.(a)(A)His(b) hand is heavy despite my groaning.

2 "I'm still complaining bitterly today; my hand is heavy because of groaning.

2 “Even today my complaint is contentious;His hand is heavy despite my groaning.

3 Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!

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

3 If only I knew how to find Him,so that I could go to His throne.

3 If only I knew where to find him, I would visit him where he has taken his seat.

3 “Oh, that I knew where I might find Him,That I might [even] come to His seat!

4 I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

4 “I would (C)present my case before HimAnd fill my mouth with arguments.

4 I would plead my case before Him(B)and fill my mouth with arguments.

4 I would lay out my case before him; and fill my mouth with arguments.

4 “I would present my cause before HimAnd fill my mouth with arguments.

5 I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.

5 “I would learn the words which He would (c)answer,And perceive what He would say to me.

5 I would learn how(c) He would answer me;and understand what He would say to me.

5 I know how he would answer me; I understand what he'll tell me.

5 “I would learn the words which He would answer,And understand what He would say to me.

6 Will he plead against me with his great power? No; but he would put strength in me.

6 “Would He contend with me by (D)the greatness of His power?No, surely He would pay attention to me.

6 Would He prosecute(C) me forcefully?No, He will certainly pay attention to me.

6 "Would he use his great power to fight me? No, he'll pay attention to me.

6 “Would He contend against me with His great power?No, surely He would give attention to me.(A)

7 There the righteous might dispute with him; so should I be delivered for ever from my judge.

7 “There the upright would (E)reason with Him;And I (d)would be (F)delivered forever from my Judge.

7 Then an upright man could reason(D) with Him,and I would escape from my Judge(E) forever.

7 In that place, the upright can reason with him; and I'll be acquitted once and for all by my judge."

7 “There the righteous and upright could reason with Him;So I would be acquitted forever by my Judge.

8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him:

8 “Behold, I go forward but He is not there,And backward, but I (G)cannot perceive Him;

8 If I go east, He is not there,and if I go west, I cannot perceive Him.(F)

8 "Look! If I go east, he isn't there! If I go to the west, I don't perceive him.

8 “Behold, I go forward (to the east), but He is not there;I go backward (to the west), but I cannot perceive Him;

9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:

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

9 When He is at work to the north, I cannot see Him;when He turns south, I cannot find Him.

9 If he's working in the north, I can't observe him; If he turns south, I can't see him.

9 To the left (north) He turns, but I cannot behold Him;He turns to the right hand (south), but I cannot see Him.

10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

10 “But He knows the (e)way I take;When He has (H)tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

10 Yet He knows the way I have taken;(d)when He has tested me,(G) I will emerge as pure gold.

10 Because he knows the road on which I travel, when he had tested me, I'll come out like gold.

10 “But He knows the way that I take [and He pays attention to it].When He has tried me, I will come forth as [refined] gold [pure and luminous].(B)

11 My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

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

11 My feet have followed in His tracks;I have kept to His way(H) and not turned aside.

11 My feet stay where his footsteps lead; I kept on his pathway and haven't turned aside.

11 “My feet have carefully followed His steps;I have kept His ways and not turned aside.

12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

12 “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.

12 I have not departed from the commands of His lips;I have treasured(e) the words(I) of His mouthmore than my daily food.

12 I haven't wandered away from the commands that he has spoken; I've treasured what he has said more than my own meals."

12 “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips;I have kept the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

God Is Against Me

13 But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.

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

13 But He is unchangeable; who can oppose Him?He does what He desires.(J)

13 "But he is One who can change him? He does whatever he wants to do.

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

14 For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

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

14 He will certainly accomplish what He has decreed for me,and He has many more things like these in mind.(f)

14 He'll complete what he has planned for me; he has many things in mind for me!

14 “For He performs what is planned (appointed) for me,And He is mindful of many such things.

15 Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him.

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

15 Therefore I am terrified(K) in His presence;when I consider this, I am afraid of Him.

15 That's why I'm terrified at his presence! When I think about it, I'm afraid of him.

15 “Therefore I would be terrified at His presence;When I consider [all of this], I tremble in dread of Him.

16 For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me:

16 “It is God who has made my (K)heart faint,And the Almighty who has dismayed me,

16 God has made my heart faint;(L)the Almighty has terrified me.

16 God has caused me to faint; the Almighty makes me terrified!

16 “For God has made my heart faint,And the Almighty has terrified me,

17 Because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath he covered the darkness from my face.

17 But I (L)am not silenced by the darkness,Nor (M)deep gloom which covers me.

17 Yet I am not destroyed(g) by the darkness,(M)by the thick darkness that covers my face. >

17 Nevertheless, I haven't been silenced because of the darkness, even when thick darkness obscures my vision."

17 But I am not silenced by the darkness [of these woes that fell on me],Nor by the thick darkness which covers my face.

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