Job 33
1 Hear therefore, O Job, my speeches, and hearken to all my words.
Now listen to me, Job. Pay attention to everything I have to say.
2 Behold now I have opened my mouth, let my tongue speak within my jaws.
Look, I'm about to speak; my mouth is ready to talk.
3 My words are from my upright heart, and my lips shall speak a pure sentence.
My words come from my upright heart; my lips speak sincerely of what I know.
4 The spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Almighty gave me life.
The spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 If thou canst, answer me, and stand up against my face.
Answer me, if you can. Stand in front of me and prepare to defend yourself.
6 Behold God hath made me as well as thee, and of the same clay I also was formed.
Look, before God we are both the same. I was also made from a piece of clay.
7 But yet let not my wonder terrify thee, and let not my eloquence be burdensome to thee.
See here, you don't need to be frightened of me. I won't be too hard on you.
8 Now thou has said in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words:
You spoke in my hearing and I have listened to everything you had to say.
9 I am clean, and without sin: I am unspotted, and there is no iniquity in me.
You say, ‘I'm clean, I've done nothing wrong; I'm pure, I have not sinned.
10 Because he hath found complaints against me, therefore he hath counted me for his enemy.
See how God finds fault with me and treats me as his enemy.
11 He hath put my feet in the stocks, he hath observed all my paths.
He puts my feet in the stocks and watches everything I do.’
12 Now this is the thing in which thou art not justified: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.
But look, you are wrong—let me explain. God is greater than any human being.
13 Dost thou strive against him, because he hath not answered thee to all words?
Why are you fighting against him, complaining that God isn't answering your questions?
14 God speaketh once, and repeateth not the selfsame thing the second time.
God speaks over and over again, but people don't notice.
15 By a dream in a vision by night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, and they are sleeping in their beds:
Through dreams and visions in the night, when people fall into deep sleep, resting on their beds,
16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and teaching instructeth them in what they are to learn.
God speaks to them with solemn warnings
17 That he may withdraw a man from the things he is doing, and may deliver him from pride.
to turn them away from doing wrong and to stop them from becoming proud.
18 Rescuing his soul from corruption: and his life from passing to the sword.
He saves them from the grave and spares them from violent death.
19 He rebuketh also by sorrow in the bed, and he maketh all his bones to wither.
People are also disciplined on a bed of pain with constant aching in their bones.
20 Bread becometh abominable to him in his life, and to his soul the meat which before he desired.
They have no desire to eat; they do not even want their favorite dishes.
21 His flesh shall be consumed away, and his bones that were covered shall be made bare.
Their flesh wastes away to nothing; all that's left is skin and bones.
22 His soul hath drawn near to corruption, and his life to the destroyers.
They are close to death; their lives approaching the executioner.
23 If there shall be an angel speaking for him, one among thousands, to declare man’s uprightness,
But if an angel appears, a mediator, one of God's thousands of angels, to tell someone the right way for them,
24 He shall have mercy on him, and shall say: Deliver him, that he may not go down to corruption: I have found wherein I may be merciful to him.
he will be gracious to them. He will say, ‘Save them from going down into the grave, for I have found a way to free them.’
25 His flesh is consumed with punishment, let him return to the days of his youth.
Then their bodies will be renewed as if they were young again; they will be as strong as when they were in their prime.
26 He shall pray to God, and he will be gracious to him: and he shall see his face with joy, and he will render to man his justice.
They will pray to God, and he will accept them; they come into God's presence with joy, and he will set things right for them.
27 He shall look upon men, and shall say: I have sinned, and indeed I have offended, and I have not received what I have deserved.
They sing, and tell others, ‘I sinned, I distorted what is right, but it did not do me any good.
28 He hath delivered his soul from going into destruction, that it may live and see the light.
He saved me from going down into the grave and I will live in the light.’
29 Behold, all these things God worketh three times within every one.
Look, God does this time and again for people;
30 That he may withdraw their souls from corruption, and enlighten them with the light of the living.
he saves them from the grave so they might see the light of life.
31 Attend, Job, and hearken to me: and hold thy peace, whilst I speak.
Pay attention Job, and listen to me! Be quiet—let me speak!
32 But if thou hast any thing to say, answer me, speak: for I would have thee to appear just.
But if you have anything to say, then speak up.
33 And if thou have not, hear me: hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.
If not, listen to me. Keep quiet and I will teach you wisdom.”
