Job 33

1 Howbeit hear, Job, my words, and listen to my speech.

“But now, Job, listen carefully to all that I am going to say [DOU].

2 For behold, I have opened my mouth, and my tongue has spoken.

I am ready to tell you [MTY, DOU] [what I think].

3 My heart [shall be found] pure by [my] words; and the understanding of my lips shall meditate purity.

I know that I am speaking honestly and that I am speaking [MTY] sincerely.

4 The Divine Spirit is that which formed me, and the breath of the Almighty that which teaches me.

Almighty God has created me [as well as you], and his breath has caused me to live.

5 If you can, give me an answer: wait therefore; stand against me, and I [will stand] against you.

So, answer [what] I [say] if you can; think carefully [about how you will reply to me].

6 You are formed out of the clay as also I: we have been formed out of the same [substance].

“God considers that you, and I are both [equal]; he formed both of us from clay.

7 My fear shall not terrify you, neither shall my hand be heavy upon you.

So you do not need to be afraid of me; I will not crush/oppress you [by what I say] [MTY].

8 But you have said in mine ears, (I have heard the voice of your words; ) because you say, I am pure, not having sinned;

I have heard you [DOU] speaking, and this is what you have said:

9 I am blameless, for I have not transgressed.

‘I am innocent; I have not committed any sins; I am pure; I have not done things that are wrong.

10 Yet he has discovered a charge against me, and he has reckoned me as an adversary.

But God finds reasons to accuse me, and he considers that I am his enemy.

11 And he has put my foot in the stocks, and has watched all my ways.

[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 For how say you, I am righteous, yet he has not listened to me? for he that is above mortals is eternal.

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 But you say, Why has he not heard every word of my cause?

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 when the Lord speaks once, or a second time,

God does speak [to us] in various ways, but we do not pay any attention to what he says.

15 [sending] a dream, or in the meditation of the night; (as when a dreadful alarm happens to fall upon men, in slumberings on the bed: )

[Sometimes he speaks to us] at night in dreams and visions, when we are on our beds, asleep [DOU].

16 then opens he the understanding of men: he scares them with such fearful visions:

He reveals things [MTY] to us and terrifies us by the things he warns us about.

17 to turn a man from unrighteousness, and he delivers his body from a fall.

He tell us those things in order that we stop doing [evil] things and to prevent us from becoming proud.

18 He spares also his soul from death, and [suffers] him not to fall in war.

He does not want us to be destroyed [MTY]; he wants to prevent us from dying [MTY] [while we are still young].

19 And again, he chastens him with sickness on his bed, and the multitude of his bones is benumbed.

God also [sometimes] corrects us by forcing us to lie on our beds suffering much pain and with fever/aching in our bones.

20 And he shall not be able to take any food, though his soul shall desire meat;

The result is that we do not desire any food, not even very special food.

21 until his flesh shall be consumed, and he shall show his bones bare.

Our bodies become very thin, with the result that we look like skeletons [HYP], and our bones stick out.

22 His soul also draws near to death, and his life is in Hades.

[We know that] we will soon die and go to the place where dead people are.

23 Though there should be a thousand messengers of death, not one of them shall wound him: if he should purpose in his heart to turn to the Lord, and declare to man his fault, and show his folly;

“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 he will support him, that he should not perish, and will restore his body as [fresh] plaster upon a wall; and he will fill his bones with morrow.

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 And he will make his flesh tender as that of a babe, and he will restore him among men in [his] full strength.

Allow his body to be strong again; allow him to be strong like he was when he was a youth!’

26 And he shall pray to the Lord, and his prayer shall be accepted of him; he shall enter with a cheerful countenance, with a full expression [of praise]: for he will render to men [their] due.

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 Even then a man shall blame himself, saying, What kind of things have I done? and he has not punished me according to the full amount of my sins.

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 Deliver my soul, that it may not go to destruction, and my 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 Behold, all these things, the Mighty One works in a threefold manner with a man.

God does all these things for us many times;

30 And he has delivered my soul from death, that my life may praise him in the light.

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 Listen, Job, and hear me: be silent, and I will speak.

So Job, listen to me; do not say anything more; just allow me to speak.

32 If you have words, answer me: speak, for I desire you to be justified.

[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, do you hear me: be silent, and I will teach you.

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.”