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