Job 33
1 “But now, O Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words.
And yet, I pray thee, O Job, Hear my speech and [to] all my words give ear.
2 Behold, I will open my mouth; my address is on the tip of my tongue.
Lo, I pray thee, I have opened my mouth, My tongue hath spoken in the palate.
3 My words are from an upright heart, and my lips speak sincerely what I know.
Of the uprightness of my heart [are] my sayings, And knowledge have my lips clearly spoken.
4 The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
The Spirit of God hath made me, And the breath of the Mighty doth quicken me.
5 Refute me if you can; prepare your case and confront me.
If thou art able — answer me, Set in array before me — station thyself.
6 I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay.
Lo, I [am], according to thy word, for God, From the clay I — I also, have been formed.
7 Surely no fear of me should terrify you; nor will my hand be heavy upon you.
Lo, my terror doth not frighten thee, And my burden on thee is not heavy.
8 Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words:
Surely — thou hast said in mine ears, And the sounds of words I hear:
9 ‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me.
'Pure [am] I, without transgression, Innocent [am] I, and I have no iniquity.
10 Yet God finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy.
Lo, occasions against me He doth find, He doth reckon me for an enemy to Him,
11 He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches over all my paths.’
He doth put in the stocks my feet, He doth watch all my paths.'
12 Behold, you are not right in this matter. I will answer you, for God is greater than man.
Lo, [in] this thou hast not been righteous, I answer thee, that greater is God than man.
13 Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks?
Wherefore against Him hast thou striven, When [for] all His matters He answereth not?
14 For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices.
For once doth God speak, and twice, (He doth not behold it.)
15 In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds,
In a dream — a vision of night, In the falling of deep sleep on men, In slumberings on a bed.
16 He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings
Then He uncovereth the ear of men, And for their instruction sealeth:
17 to turn a man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride,
To turn aside man [from] doing, And pride from man He concealeth.
18 to preserve his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword.
He keepeth back his soul from corruption, And his life from passing away by a dart.
19 A man is also chastened on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones,
And he hath been reproved With pain on his bed, And the strife of his bones [is] enduring.
20 so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food.
And his life hath nauseated bread, And his soul desirable food.
21 His flesh wastes away from sight, and his hidden bones protrude.
His flesh is consumed from being seen, And high are his bones, they were not seen!
22 He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the messengers of death.
And draw near to the pit doth his soul, And his life to those causing death.
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 is by him a messenger, An interpreter — one of a thousand, To declare for man his uprightness:
24 to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found his ransom,’
Then He doth favour him and saith, 'Ransom him from going down to the pit, I have found an atonement.'
25 then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth.
Fresher [is] his flesh than a child's, He returneth 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 maketh supplication unto God, And He accepteth him. And he seeth His face with shouting, And He returneth to man His righteousness.
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 looketh on men, and saith, 'I sinned, And uprightness I have perverted, And it hath not been profitable to me.
28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light.’
He hath ransomed my soul From going over into the pit, And my life on the light looketh.'
29 Behold, all these things God does to a man, two or even three times,
Lo, all these doth God work, Twice — thrice with man,
30 to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
To bring back his soul from the pit, To be enlightened with the light of the living.
31 Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.
Attend, O Job, hearken to me, Keep silent, and I — I do speak.
32 But if you have something to say, answer me; speak up, for I would like to vindicate you.
If there are words — answer me, Speak, for I have a desire to justify thee.
33 But if not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”
If there are not — hearken thou to me, Keep silent, and I teach thee wisdom.
