Job 33
1 And now, O Job, give ear to my words, and take note of all I say.
“And yet, please, O Job, Hear my speech and give ear [to] all my words.
2 See, now my mouth is open, my tongue gives out words.
Now behold, I have opened my mouth, My tongue has spoken in the palate.
3 My heart is overflowing with knowledge, my lips say what is true.
Of the uprightness of my heart [are] my sayings, And my lips have clearly spoken knowledge.
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 Mighty quickens me.
5 If you are able, give me an answer; put your cause in order, and come forward.
If you are able—answer me, Set in array before me—station yourself.
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.
Behold, I [am], according to your word, for God, I have also been formed from the clay.
7 Fear of me will not overcome you, and my hand will not be hard on you.
Behold, my terror does not frighten you, And my burden on you is not heavy.
8 But you said in my hearing, and your voice came to my ears:
Surely you have spoken in my ears, And the sounds of words I hear:
9 I am clean, without sin; I am washed, and there is no evil in me:
I [am] pure, without transgression, I [am] innocent, and I have no iniquity.
10 See, he is looking for something against me; in his eyes I am as one of his haters;
Behold, He develops hindrances against me, He reckons me for an enemy to Him,
11 He puts chains on my feet; he is watching all my ways.
He puts my feet in the stocks, He watches all my paths.
12 Truly, in saying this you are wrong; for God is greater than man.
Behold, you have not been righteous [in] this, I answer you, that 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 have you striven against Him, When [for] all His matters He does not answer?
14 For God gives his word in one way, even in two, and man is not conscious of it:
For once God speaks, and twice (he does not behold it),
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—a vision of night, In the falling of deep sleep on men, In slumberings on a bed.
16 Then he makes his secrets clear to men, so that they are full of fear at what they see;
Then He uncovers the ear of men, And seals for their instruction,
17 In order that man may be turned from his evil works, and that pride may be taken away from him;
To turn aside man [from] doing, And He conceals pride from man.
18 To keep back his soul from the underworld, and his life from destruction.
He keeps back his soul from corruption, And his life from passing away by a dart.
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;
And he has been reproved With pain on his bed, And the strife of his bones [is] enduring.
20 He has no desire for food, and his soul is turned away from delicate meat;
And his life has nauseated bread, And his soul desirable food.
21 His flesh is so wasted away, that it may not be seen, and his bones. ...
His flesh is consumed from being seen, And his bones are high, they were not seen!
22 And his soul comes near to the underworld, and his life to the angels of death.
And his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those causing 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;
If there is a messenger by him, An interpreter—one of a thousand, To declare for man his uprightness,
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:
Then He favors him and says, Ransom him from going down to the pit, I have found an atonement.
25 Then his flesh becomes young again, and he comes back to the days of his early strength;
Fresher [is] his flesh than 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 makes supplication to God, And He accepts him. And he sees His face with shouting, And He returns to man His righteousness.
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 looks on men and says, I sinned, and I have perverted uprightness, And it has not been profitable to me.
28 He kept my soul from the underworld, and my life sees the light in full measure.
He has ransomed my soul From going over into the pit, And my life looks on the light.
29 Truly, God does all these things to man, twice and three times,
Behold, God works all these, Twice, [even] three times with man,
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, To be enlightened with the light of the living.
31 Take note O Job, give ear to me; keep quiet, while I say what is in my mind.
Attend, O Job, listen to me, Keep silent, and I 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.
If there are words—answer me, Speak, for I have a desire to justify you.
33 If not, give attention to me, and keep quiet, and I will give you wisdom.
If there are not—listen to me, Keep silent, and I teach you wisdom.”
