² Today my complaint is again bitter;^[a]
    my strength is weighed down because of my groaning.
³ Oh, that I could know how to find him—
    come to his dwelling place;
⁴     I would lay out my case before him,
        fill my mouth with arguments,
⁵     know the words with which he would answer,
        understand what he would say to me.
⁶ Would he contend with me through brute force?
    No, he would surely listen to me.
⁷ There those who do the right thing can argue with him;
    I could escape from my judge forever.

⁸ Look, I go east; he’s not there,
    west, and don’t discover him;
⁹     north in his activity, and I don’t grasp him;
    he turns south, and I don’t see.

¹⁶ God has weakened my mind;
    the Almighty has frightened me.
¹⁷ Still I’m not annihilated by darkness;
    he has hidden deep darkness from me.