Job 33
1 “But now, O Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words.
Therefore, hear my speeches, Job, and listen to all my words.
2 Behold, I will open my mouth; my address is on the tip of my tongue.
Behold, I have opened my mouth; let my tongue speak along with my throat.
3 My words are from an upright heart, and my lips speak sincerely what I know.
My words are from my simple heart, and my lips will speak a pure judgment.
4 The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
The Spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Almighty gave me life.
5 Refute me if you can; prepare your case and confront me.
If you can, answer me, and oppose me to my face.
6 I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay.
Behold, God has made me, just as he also has made you, and I, likewise, have been formed of the same clay.
7 Surely no fear of me should terrify you; nor will my hand be heavy upon you.
So, truly, do not let my wonders terrify you, and do not let my eloquence be burdensome to you.
8 Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words:
For you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of your words, saying:
9 ‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me.
“I am clean and without sin; I am immaculate, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 Yet God finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy.
Yet he has discovered blame in me, and so he has treated me like his enemy.
11 He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches over all my paths.’
He has put my feet in fetters; he has kept watch over all my ways.”
12 Behold, you are not right in this matter. I will answer you, for God is greater than man.
Therefore, it is for this reason that you have not been justified. For I tell you that God is greater than man.
13 Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks?
Do you contend against him because he has not responded to all of your words?
14 For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices.
God speaks once, and he does not repeat the same thing a second time.
15 In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds,
Through a dream in a vision of the night, when a deep sleep falls over men, and they are sleeping in their beds,
16 He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings
then, he opens the ears of men, and, educating them, he teaches discipline,
17 to turn a man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride,
so that he may divert a man from the things that he is doing, and may free him from pride,
18 to preserve his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword.
rescuing his soul from corruption and his life from passing away by the sword.
19 A man is also chastened on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones,
Likewise, he rebukes by sorrow in bed, and he causes all of his bones to become weak.
20 so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food.
Bread becomes abominable to him in his life, and, to his soul, the meat which before he desired.
21 His flesh wastes away from sight, and his hidden bones protrude.
His body will waste away, and his bones, which had been covered, will be revealed.
22 He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the messengers of death.
His soul has approached corruption, and his life has drawn near to what is deadly.
23 Yet if there is a messenger on his side, one mediator in a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him,
If there were an angel speaking for him, one among thousands, to declare the fairness of the man,
24 to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found his ransom,’
he will have mercy on him, and he will say, “Free him, so that he will not descend to destruction. I have found a reason to be favorable to him.
25 then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth.
His body is consumed by suffering. Let him return to the days of his youth.”
26 He prays to God and finds favor; he sees God’s face and shouts for joy, and God restores His righteousness to that man.
He will beg pardon from God, and he will be soothing to him; and he will look upon his face in jubilation, and he will restore his justice to man.
27 Then he sings before men with these words: ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved.
He will consider mankind, and he will say: “I have sinned and truly I have offended, yet I was not treated as I deserved.”
28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light.’
He has freed his soul from continuing into destruction, so that, in living, it may see the light.
29 Behold, all these things God does to a man, two or even three times,
Behold, all these things God works three times within each one,
30 to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
so that he may revive their souls from corruption and enlighten them with the light of life.
31 Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.
Pay attention Job, and listen to me; and remain silent, while I speak.
32 But if you have something to say, answer me; speak up, for I would like to vindicate you.
Yet, if you have anything to say, answer me and speak, for I want you to be treated justly.
33 But if not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”
But if you do not have anything to say, then listen to me. Be quiet and I will teach you wisdom.
