Job 33
1 “And yet, please, O Job, Hear my speech and give ear [to] all my words.
Howbeit hear, Job, my words, and listen to my speech.
2 Now behold, I have opened my mouth, My tongue has spoken in the palate.
For behold, I have opened my mouth, and my tongue has spoken.
3 Of the uprightness of my heart [are] my sayings, And my lips have clearly spoken knowledge.
My heart [shall be found] pure by [my] words; and the understanding of my lips shall meditate purity.
4 The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Mighty quickens me.
The Divine Spirit is that which formed me, and the breath of the Almighty that which teaches me.
5 If you are able—answer me, Set in array before me—station yourself.
If you can, give me an answer: wait therefore; stand against me, and I [will stand] against you.
6 Behold, I [am], according to your word, for God, I have also been formed from the clay.
You are formed out of the clay as also I: we have been formed out of the same [substance].
7 Behold, my terror does not frighten you, And my burden on you is not heavy.
My fear shall not terrify you, neither shall my hand be heavy upon you.
8 Surely you have spoken in my ears, And the sounds of words I hear:
But you have said in mine ears, (I have heard the voice of your words; ) because you say, I am pure, not having sinned;
9 I [am] pure, without transgression, I [am] innocent, and I have no iniquity.
I am blameless, for I have not transgressed.
10 Behold, He develops hindrances against me, He reckons me for an enemy to Him,
Yet he has discovered a charge against me, and he has reckoned me as an adversary.
11 He puts my feet in the stocks, He watches all my paths.
And he has put my foot in the stocks, and has watched all my ways.
12 Behold, you have not been righteous [in] this, I answer you, that God is greater than man.
For how say you, I am righteous, yet he has not listened to me? for he that is above mortals is eternal.
13 Why have you striven against Him, When [for] all His matters He does not answer?
But you say, Why has he not heard every word of my cause?
14 For once God speaks, and twice (he does not behold it),
For when the Lord speaks once, or a second time,
15 In a dream—a vision of night, In the falling of deep sleep on men, In slumberings on a bed.
[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: )
16 Then He uncovers the ear of men, And seals for their instruction,
then opens he the understanding of men: he scares them with such fearful visions:
17 To turn aside man [from] doing, And He conceals pride from man.
to turn a man from unrighteousness, and he delivers his body from a fall.
18 He keeps back his soul from corruption, And his life from passing away by a dart.
He spares also his soul from death, and [suffers] him not to fall in war.
19 And he has been reproved With pain on his bed, And the strife of his bones [is] enduring.
And again, he chastens him with sickness on his bed, and the multitude of his bones is benumbed.
20 And his life has nauseated bread, And his soul desirable food.
And he shall not be able to take any food, though his soul shall desire meat;
21 His flesh is consumed from being seen, And his bones are high, they were not seen!
until his flesh shall be consumed, and he shall show his bones bare.
22 And his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those causing death.
His soul also draws near to death, and his life is in Hades.
23 If there is a messenger by him, An interpreter—one of a thousand, To declare for man his uprightness,
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;
24 Then He favors him and says, Ransom him from going down to the pit, I have found an atonement.
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.
25 Fresher [is] his flesh than a child’s, He returns to the days of his youth.
And he will make his flesh tender as that of a babe, and he will restore him amongst men in [his] full 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.
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.
27 [Then] he looks on men and says, I sinned, and I have perverted uprightness, And it has not been profitable to me.
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.
28 He has ransomed my soul From going over into the pit, And my life looks on the light.
Deliver my soul, that it may not go to destruction, and my life shall see the light.
29 Behold, God works all these, Twice, [even] three times with man,
Behold, all these things, the Mighty One works in a threefold manner with a man.
30 To bring back his soul from the pit, To be enlightened with the light of the living.
And he has delivered my soul from death, that my life may praise him in the light.
31 Attend, O Job, listen to me, Keep silent, and I speak.
Listen, Job, and hear me: be silent, and I will speak.
32 If there are words—answer me, Speak, for I have a desire to justify you.
If you have words, answer me: speak, for I desire you to be justified.
33 If there are not—listen to me, Keep silent, and I teach you wisdom.”
If not, do you hear me: be silent, and I will teach you.
