Job 33
1 “And yet, please, O Job, Hear my speech and give ear [to] all my words.
And now, O Job, give ear to my words, and take note of all I say.
2 Now behold, I have opened my mouth, My tongue has spoken in the palate.
See, now my mouth is open, my tongue gives out words.
3 Of the uprightness of my heart [are] my sayings, And my lips have clearly spoken knowledge.
My heart is overflowing with knowledge, my lips say what is true.
4 The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Mighty quickens me.
The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Ruler of all gives me life.
5 If you are able—answer me, Set in array before me—station yourself.
If you are able, give me an answer; put your cause in order, and come forward.
6 Behold, I [am], according to your word, for God, I have also been formed from the clay.
See, I am the same as you are in the eyes of God; I was cut off from the same bit of wet earth.
7 Behold, my terror does not frighten you, And my burden on you is not heavy.
Fear of me will not overcome you, and my hand will not be hard on you.
8 Surely you have spoken in my ears, And the sounds of words I hear:
But you said in my hearing, and your voice came to my ears:
9 I [am] pure, without transgression, I [am] innocent, and I have no iniquity.
I am clean, without sin; I am washed, and there is no evil in me:
10 Behold, He develops hindrances against me, He reckons me for an enemy to Him,
See, he is looking for something against me; in his eyes I am as one of his haters;
11 He puts my feet in the stocks, He watches all my paths.
He puts chains on my feet; he is watching all my ways.
12 Behold, you have not been righteous [in] this, I answer you, that God is greater than man.
Truly, in saying this you are wrong; for God is greater than man.
13 Why have you striven against Him, When [for] all His matters He does not answer?
Why do you put forward your cause against him, saying, He gives no answer to any of my words?
14 For once God speaks, and twice (he does not behold it),
For God gives his word in one way, even in two, and man is not conscious of it:
15 In a dream—a vision of night, In the falling of deep sleep on men, In slumberings on a bed.
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep comes on men, while they take their rest on their beds;
16 Then He uncovers the ear of men, And seals for their instruction,
Then he makes his secrets clear to men, so that they are full of fear at what they see;
17 To turn aside man [from] doing, And He conceals pride from man.
In order that man may be turned from his evil works, and that pride may be taken away from him;
18 He keeps back his soul from corruption, And his life from passing away by a dart.
To keep back his soul from the underworld, and his life from destruction.
19 And he has been reproved With pain on his bed, And the strife of his bones [is] enduring.
Pain is sent on him as a punishment, while he is on his bed; there is no end to the trouble in his bones;
20 And his life has nauseated bread, And his soul desirable food.
He has no desire for food, and his soul is turned away from delicate meat;
21 His flesh is consumed from being seen, And his bones are high, they were not seen!
His flesh is so wasted away, that it may not be seen, and his bones. ...
22 And his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those causing death.
And his soul comes near to the underworld, and his life to the angels of death.
23 If there is a messenger by him, An interpreter—one of a thousand, To declare for man his uprightness,
If now there may be an angel sent to him, one of the thousands which there are to be between him and God, and to make clear to man what is right for him;
24 Then He favors him and says, Ransom him from going down to the pit, I have found an atonement.
And if he has mercy on him, and says, Let him not go down to the underworld, I have given the price for his life:
25 Fresher [is] his flesh than a child’s, He returns to the days of his youth.
Then his flesh becomes young again, and he comes back to the days of his early strength;
26 He makes supplication to God, And He accepts him. And he sees His face with shouting, And He returns to man His righteousness.
He makes his prayer to God, and he has mercy on him; he sees God's face with cries of joy; he gives news of his righteousness to men;
27 [Then] he looks on men and says, I sinned, and I have perverted uprightness, And it has not been profitable to me.
He makes a song, saying, I did wrong, turning from the straight way, but he did not give me the reward of my sin.
28 He has ransomed my soul From going over into the pit, And my life looks on the light.
He kept my soul from the underworld, and my life sees the light in full measure.
29 Behold, God works all these, Twice, [even] three times with man,
Truly, God does all these things to man, twice and three times,
30 To bring back his soul from the pit, To be enlightened with the light of the living.
Keeping back his soul from the underworld, so that he may see the light of life.
31 Attend, O Job, listen to me, Keep silent, and I speak.
Take note O Job, give ear to me; keep quiet, while I say what is in my mind.
32 If there are words—answer me, Speak, for I have a desire to justify you.
If you have anything to say, give me an answer; for it is my desire that you may be judged free from sin.
33 If there are not—listen to me, Keep silent, and I teach you wisdom.”
If not, give attention to me, and keep quiet, and I will give you wisdom.
