Job 33
1 “And yet, please, O Job, Hear my speech and give ear [to] all my words.
Now listen to me, Job. Pay attention to everything I have to say.
2 Now behold, I have opened my mouth, My tongue has spoken in the palate.
Look, I'm about to speak; my mouth is ready to talk.
3 Of the uprightness of my heart [are] my sayings, And my lips have clearly spoken knowledge.
My words come from my upright heart; my lips speak sincerely of what I know.
4 The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Mighty quickens me.
The spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 If you are able—answer me, Set in array before me—station yourself.
Answer me, if you can. Stand in front of me and prepare to defend yourself.
6 Behold, I [am], according to your word, for God, I have also been formed from the clay.
Look, before God we are both the same. I was also made from a piece of clay.
7 Behold, my terror does not frighten you, And my burden on you is not heavy.
See here, you don't need to be frightened of me. I won't be too hard on you.
8 Surely you have spoken in my ears, And the sounds of words I hear:
You spoke in my hearing and I have listened to everything you had to say.
9 I [am] pure, without transgression, I [am] innocent, and I have no iniquity.
You say, ‘I'm clean, I've done nothing wrong; I'm pure, I have not sinned.
10 Behold, He develops hindrances against me, He reckons me for an enemy to Him,
See how God finds fault with me and treats me as his enemy.
11 He puts my feet in the stocks, He watches all my paths.
He puts my feet in the stocks and watches everything I do.’
12 Behold, you have not been righteous [in] this, I answer you, that God is greater than man.
But look, you are wrong—let me explain. God is greater than any human being.
13 Why have you striven against Him, When [for] all His matters He does not answer?
Why are you fighting against him, complaining that God isn't answering your questions?
14 For once God speaks, and twice (he does not behold it),
God speaks over and over again, but people don't notice.
15 In a dream—a vision of night, In the falling of deep sleep on men, In slumberings on a bed.
Through dreams and visions in the night, when people fall into deep sleep, resting on their beds,
16 Then He uncovers the ear of men, And seals for their instruction,
God speaks to them with solemn warnings
17 To turn aside man [from] doing, And He conceals pride from man.
to turn them away from doing wrong and to stop them from becoming proud.
18 He keeps back his soul from corruption, And his life from passing away by a dart.
He saves them from the grave and spares them from violent death.
19 And he has been reproved With pain on his bed, And the strife of his bones [is] enduring.
People are also disciplined on a bed of pain with constant aching in their bones.
20 And his life has nauseated bread, And his soul desirable food.
They have no desire to eat; they do not even want their favorite dishes.
21 His flesh is consumed from being seen, And his bones are high, they were not seen!
Their flesh wastes away to nothing; all that's left is skin and bones.
22 And his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those causing death.
They are close to death; their lives approaching the executioner.
23 If there is a messenger by him, An interpreter—one of a thousand, To declare 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 He favors him and says, Ransom 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 Fresher [is] his flesh than a child’s, He returns to the days of his youth.
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 makes supplication to God, And He accepts him. And he sees His face with shouting, And He returns to man 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 [Then] he looks on men and says, I sinned, and I have perverted uprightness, And it has not been profitable to me.
They sing, and tell others, ‘I sinned, I distorted what is right, but it did not do me any good.
28 He has ransomed my soul From going over into the pit, And my life looks on the light.
He saved me from going down into the grave and I will live in the light.’
29 Behold, God works all these, Twice, [even] three times with man,
Look, God does this time and again for people;
30 To bring back his soul from the pit, To be enlightened with the light of the living.
he saves them from the grave so they might see the light of life.
31 Attend, O Job, listen to me, Keep silent, and I speak.
Pay attention Job, and listen to me! Be quiet—let me speak!
32 If there are words—answer me, Speak, for I have a desire to justify you.
But if you have anything to say, then speak up.
33 If there are not—listen to me, Keep silent, and I teach you wisdom.”
If not, listen to me. Keep quiet and I will teach you wisdom.”
