< Job 33 >

1 And now, O Job, give ear to my words, and take note of all I say.
“But now, O Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words.
2 See, now my mouth is open, my tongue gives out words.
Behold, I will open my mouth; my address is on the tip of my tongue.
3 My heart is overflowing with knowledge, my lips say what is true.
My words are from an upright heart, and my lips speak sincerely what I know.
4 The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Ruler of all gives me life.
The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 If you are able, give me an answer; put your cause in order, and come forward.
Refute me if you can; prepare your case and confront me.
6 See, I am the same as you are in the eyes of God; I was cut off from the same bit of wet earth.
I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay.
7 Fear of me will not overcome you, and my hand will not be hard on you.
Surely no fear of me should terrify you; nor will my hand be heavy upon you.
8 But you said in my hearing, and your voice came to my ears:
Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words:
9 I am clean, without sin; I am washed, and there is no evil in me:
‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me.
10 See, he is looking for something against me; in his eyes I am as one of his haters;
Yet God finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy.
11 He puts chains on my feet; he is watching all my ways.
He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches over all my paths.’
12 Truly, in saying this you are wrong; for God is greater than man.
Behold, you are not right in this matter. I will answer you, for God is greater than man.
13 Why do you put forward your cause against him, saying, He gives no answer to any of my words?
Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks?
14 For God gives his word in one way, even in two, and man is not conscious of it:
For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep comes on men, while they take their rest on their beds;
In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds,
16 Then he makes his secrets clear to men, so that they are full of fear at what they see;
He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings
17 In order that man may be turned from his evil works, and that pride may be taken away from him;
to turn a man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride,
18 To keep back his soul from the underworld, and his life from destruction.
to preserve his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword.
19 Pain is sent on him as a punishment, while he is on his bed; there is no end to the trouble in his bones;
A man is also chastened on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones,
20 He has no desire for food, and his soul is turned away from delicate meat;
so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food.
21 His flesh is so wasted away, that it may not be seen, and his bones. ...
His flesh wastes away from sight, and his hidden bones protrude.
22 And his soul comes near to the underworld, and his life to the angels of death.
He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the messengers of death.
23 If now there may be an angel sent to him, one of the thousands which there are to be between him and God, and to make clear to man what is right for him;
Yet if there is a messenger on his side, one mediator in a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him,
24 And if he has mercy on him, and says, Let him not go down to the underworld, I have given the price for his life:
to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found his ransom,’
25 Then his flesh becomes young again, and he comes back to the days of his early strength;
then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth.
26 He makes his prayer to God, and he has mercy on him; he sees God's face with cries of joy; he gives news of his righteousness to men;
He prays to God and finds favor; he sees God’s face and shouts for joy, and God restores His righteousness to that man.
27 He makes a song, saying, I did wrong, turning from the straight way, but he did not give me the reward of my sin.
Then he sings before men with these words: ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved.
28 He kept my soul from the underworld, and my life sees the light in full measure.
He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light.’
29 Truly, God does all these things to man, twice and three times,
Behold, all these things God does to a man, two or even three times,
30 Keeping back his soul from the underworld, so that he may see the light of life.
to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
31 Take note O Job, give ear to me; keep quiet, while I say what is in my mind.
Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, give me an answer; for it is my desire that you may be judged free from sin.
But if you have something to say, answer me; speak up, for I would like to vindicate you.
33 If not, give attention to me, and keep quiet, and I will give you wisdom.
But if not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”

< Job 33 >