Job 33
1 Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words.
“But now, Job, listen carefully to all that I am going to say [DOU].
2 Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth.
I am ready to tell you [MTY, DOU] [what I think].
3 My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.
I know that I am speaking honestly and that I am speaking [MTY] sincerely.
4 The Spirit of El hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
Almighty God has created me [as well as you], and his breath has caused me to live.
5 If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me, stand up.
So, answer [what] I [say] if you can; think carefully [about how you will reply to me].
6 Behold, you and I are the same before El: I also am formed out of the clay.
“God considers that you, and I are both [equal]; he formed both of us from clay.
7 Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.
So you do not need to be afraid of me; I will not crush/oppress you [by what I say] [MTY].
8 Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,
I have heard you [DOU] speaking, and this is what you have said:
9 I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.
‘I am innocent; I have not committed any sins; I am pure; I have not done things that are wrong.
10 Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy,
But God finds reasons to accuse me, and he considers that I am his enemy.
11 He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.
[It is as though] he has put my feet (in stocks/between wooden blocks to prevent me from walking away), and he watches everything that I do.’ [MTY]
12 Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that Eloah is greater than man.
But what you have said is wrong, and I will tell you [what you have said that is wrong]. God is much greater than any human.
13 Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.
So, (why are you arguing against God, saying ‘He never answers my questions’?/you should not be arguing against God, saying ‘He never answers my questions.’) [RHQ]
14 For El speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.
God does speak [to us] in various ways, but we do not pay any attention to what he says.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
[Sometimes he speaks to us] at night in dreams and visions, when we are on our beds, asleep [DOU].
16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,
He reveals things [MTY] to us and terrifies us by the things he warns us about.
17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.
He tell us those things in order that we stop doing [evil] things and to prevent us from becoming proud.
18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.
He does not want us to be destroyed [MTY]; he wants to prevent us from dying [MTY] [while we are still young].
19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain:
God also [sometimes] corrects us by forcing us to lie on our beds suffering much pain and with fever/aching in our bones.
20 So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.
The result is that we do not desire any food, not even very special food.
21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.
Our bodies become very thin, with the result that we look like skeletons [HYP], and our bones stick out.
22 Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.
[We know that] we will soon die and go to the place where dead people are.
23 If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:
“But sometimes an angel [may come to one of us], one of the thousands of angels who come to intervene between us and God, to tell us what are the right things for us [to do].
24 Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.
The angel is kind to us and says to God, ‘Release that person, so that he does not descend to the place where dead people are! Do that because I have found the money to pay so that he can be released!
25 His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth:
Allow his body to be strong again; allow him to be strong like he was when he was a youth!’
26 He shall pray unto Eloah, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.
When that happens, that person will pray to God, and God will accept/answer him; he will (enter God’s presence/worship God) joyfully, and then he will tell others how God saved him [from dying].
27 He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;
He will sing as he tells everyone, ‘I sinned, and I did things that were not right, but God did not punish me in the way that I deserved.
28 He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.
He has saved me from dying and going to the place where dead people are, and I will continue to enjoy being alive.’
29 Lo, all these things worketh El oftentimes with man,
God does all these things for us many times;
30 To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.
he keeps us [SYN] from [dying and] going to the place where the dead are, in order that we can continue to enjoy being alive [IDM].
31 Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I will speak.
So Job, listen to me; do not say anything more; just allow me to speak.
32 If thou hast any thing to say, answer me: speak, for I desire to justify thee.
[After I speak], if you have something more that you want to say to me, say it, because I would like to find a way to declare that you (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).
33 If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.
But if you have nothing more that you want to say, then just listen to me, and I will teach you how to become wise.”
