Job 33
1 Now listen to me, Job. Pay attention to everything I have to say.
Hear, therefore, my discourse, I pray thee, O Job! And attend unto all my words!
2 Look, I'm about to speak; my mouth is ready to talk.
Behold, I am opening my mouth; My tongue is now speaking in my palate.
3 My words come from my upright heart; my lips speak sincerely of what I know.
My words shall be in the uprightness of my heart; My lips shall utter knowledge purely.
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 art able, answer me; Set thyself in array against me; stand up!
6 Look, before God we are both the same. I was also made from a piece of clay.
Behold, I, like thee, am a creature of God; I also was formed of clay.
7 See here, you don't need to be frightened of me. I won't be too hard on you.
Behold, my terror cannot dismay thee, Nor can my greatness be heavy upon thee.
8 You spoke in my hearing and I have listened to everything you had to say.
Surely thou hast said in my hearing, I have heard the sound of thy words:
9 You say, ‘I'm clean, I've done nothing wrong; I'm pure, I have not sinned.
“I am pure, and without transgression; I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 See how God finds fault with me and treats me as his enemy.
Behold, He seeketh causes of hostility against me; He regardeth me as his enemy.
11 He puts my feet in the stocks and watches everything I do.’
He putteth my feet in the stocks; He watcheth all my paths.”
12 But look, you are wrong—let me explain. God is greater than any human being.
Behold, in this thou art not right; I will answer thee; For God is greater than man.
13 Why are you fighting against him, complaining that God isn't answering your questions?
Why dost thou contend with Him? For he giveth no account of any of his doings.
14 God speaks over and over again, but people don't notice.
For God speaketh once, Yea, twice, when man regardeth it not.
15 Through dreams and visions in the night, when people fall into deep sleep, resting on their beds,
In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falleth upon men, In slumber upon the bed;
16 God speaks to them with solemn warnings
Then openeth he the ears of men, And sealeth up for them admonition;
17 to turn them away from doing wrong and to stop them from becoming proud.
That he may turn man from his purpose, And hide pride from man.
18 He saves them from the grave and spares them from violent death.
Thus he saveth him from the pit, Yea, his life from perishing by the sword.
19 People are also disciplined on a bed of pain with constant aching in their bones.
He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, And with a continual agitation of his bones,
20 They have no desire to eat; they do not even want their favorite dishes.
So that his mouth abhorreth bread, And his taste the choicest food;
21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing; all that's left is skin and bones.
His flesh is consumed, that it cannot be seen, And his bones, that were invisible, are naked;
22 They are close to death; their lives approaching the executioner.
Yea, his soul draweth near to the pit, 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,
But if there be with him a messenger, An interpreter, one of a thousand, Who may show unto man his duty,
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.’
Then will God be gracious to him, and say, “Save him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.”
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 shall became fresher than a child's; He shall 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 favorable to him, And permit him to see his face with joy, And restore unto man his righteousness.
27 They sing, and tell others, ‘I sinned, I distorted what is right, but it did not do me any good.
He shall sing among men, and say, “I sinned; I acted perversely; Yet hath he not requited me for it:
28 He saved me from going down into the grave and I will live in the light.’
He hath delivered me from going down to the pit, And my life beholdeth the light.”
29 Look, God does this time and again for people;
Lo! all these things doeth God Time after time with man,
30 he saves them from the grave so they might see the light of life.
That he may bring him back from the pit, That he may enjoy the light of the living.
31 Pay attention Job, and listen to me! Be quiet—let me speak!
Mark well, O Job! hearken to me! Keep silence, and I will speak.
32 But if you have anything to say, then speak up.
Yet if thou hast any thing to say, answer me! Speak! for I desire to pronounce thee innocent.
33 If not, listen to me. Keep quiet and I will teach you wisdom.”
But if not, do thou listen to me! Keep silence, and I will teach thee wisdom!
