Job 33
1 Therefore do thou but hear, O Job, my speeches, and give ear 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, my tongue speaketh in my mouth.
Look, I'm about to speak; my mouth is ready to talk.
3 Out of my straightforward heart [come] my sayings, and my lips utter knowledge clearly.
My words come from my upright heart; my lips speak sincerely of what I know.
4 The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty giveth me life.
The spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 If thou canst, answer me, array thyself before me, stand forward.
Answer me, if you can. Stand in front of me and prepare to defend yourself.
6 Behold, I am in the same relation as thyself toward God: I myself also am cut out of the clay.
Look, before God we are both the same. I was also made from a piece of clay.
7 Behold, dread of me cannot terrify thee, and my pressure will not be too heavy upon thee.
See here, you don't need to be frightened of me. I won't be too hard on you.
8 But thou hast said before my ears, and the sound of the words I still hear,
You spoke in my hearing and I have listened to everything you had to say.
9 “I am pure without transgression, I am quite clean; 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 Yet, behold, he findeth hateful backsliding on me, he regardeth me as an enemy unto him;
See how God finds fault with me and treats me as his enemy.
11 He putteth my feet in the stocks, he watcheth all my paths.”
He puts my feet in the stocks and watches everything I do.’
12 Behold, In this thou art not just: I will answer thee; for God is far greater than a mortal.
But look, you are wrong—let me explain. God is greater than any human being.
13 Why dost thou contend against him? for with all his words will he not give an answer.
Why are you fighting against him, complaining that God isn't answering your questions?
14 For God speaketh once, yea twice: [yet man] regardeth it not.
God speaks over and over again, but people don't notice.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumbers upon the couch:
Through dreams and visions in the night, when people fall into deep sleep, resting on their beds,
16 Then doth he lay open the ear of men, and sealeth it with their warning;
God speaks to them with solemn warnings
17 To remove the son of earth [from his intended] deed and he covereth up pride from man;
to turn them away from doing wrong and to stop them from becoming proud.
18 He withholdeth his soul from the pit, and his life from passing away by the sword.
He saves them from the grave and spares them from violent death.
19 And so is he admonished by pain upon his couch, and all his bones with violent [aches].
People are also disciplined on a bed of pain with constant aching in their bones.
20 So that his inclination abhorreth bread, and his soul, the most agreeable food.
They have no desire to eat; they do not even want their favorite dishes.
21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out.
Their flesh wastes away to nothing; all that's left is skin and bones.
22 Yea, his soul draweth near unto the pit, and his life to those that slay.
They are close to death; their lives approaching the executioner.
23 If there be now about him one single angel, as defender, one out of a thousand, to tell for man his uprightness:
But if an angel appears, a mediator, one of God's thousands of angels, to tell someone the right way for them,
24 Then is he gracious unto him, and saith, Release him from going down to the pit, I have found an atonement.
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 becometh full again as in youth: he returneth to the days of his boyhood.
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 will offer his entreaty unto God, and he will receive him in favor, that he may see his face with joy: so doth He recompense unto the mortal his righteousness.
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 then should assemble men around, and say, “I had sinned, and perverted what is right, yet have I not received a like return.”
They sing, and tell others, ‘I sinned, I distorted what is right, but it did not do me any good.
28 Thus he redeemeth his soul from passing into the pit, and his life will look joyously on the light.
He saved me from going down into the grave and I will live in the light.’
29 Lo, all these things doth God two or three times with man;
Look, God does this time and again for people;
30 To bring back his soul from the pit, that she may shine in the light of life.
he saves them from the grave so they might see the light of life.
31 Listen well, O Job, hearken unto me: keep silence, and I will truly speak.
Pay attention Job, and listen to me! Be quiet—let me speak!
32 If thou hast any words, answer me: speak, for I wish to justify thee.
But if you have anything to say, then speak up.
33 If not, hearken thou unto me: keep silence, and I will teach thee wisdom.
If not, listen to me. Keep quiet and I will teach you wisdom.”
