Job 33
1 “And yet, please, O Job, Hear my speech and give ear [to] all my words.
But, in very deed, hear, I pray thee, Job, my discourse, and, to all my words, give thou ear.
2 Now behold, I have opened my mouth, My tongue has spoken in the palate.
Lo! I pray thee, I have opened my mouth, My tongue, with my palate, hath spoken,
3 Of the uprightness of my heart [are] my sayings, And my lips have clearly spoken knowledge.
Mine utterances come straight from mine own heart, and, what I know, my lips have truly spoken;
4 The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Mighty quickens me.
The spirit of GOD, hath made me, and, the inspiration of the Almighty, giveth me life.
5 If you are able—answer me, Set in array before me—station yourself.
If thou art able to answer me, Set in order before me—take thy stand!
6 Behold, I [am], according to your word, for God, I have also been formed from the clay.
Lo! I am like thyself toward GOD, From clay, have I been nipped off, even I!
7 Behold, my terror does not frighten you, And my burden on you is not heavy.
Lo! my terror, will not startle thee, nor, my hand, upon thee, be heavy.
8 Surely you have spoken in my ears, And the sounds of words I hear:
But thou hast spoken in mine ears, and, the sound of words, I heard: —
9 I [am] pure, without transgression, I [am] innocent, and I have no iniquity.
Pure am, I, without transgression, —Clean am, I, and have no iniquity;
10 Behold, He develops hindrances against me, He reckons me for an enemy to Him,
Lo! occasions of hostility, would he find against me, He counteth me an enemy to him;
11 He puts my feet in the stocks, He watches all my paths.
He putteth—in the stocks—my feet, He watcheth all my paths.
12 Behold, you have not been righteous [in] this, I answer you, that God is greater than man.
Lo! in this, thou hast not been right—let me answer thee, For, GOD, is greater than, man.
13 Why have you striven against Him, When [for] all His matters He does not answer?
Wherefore, against him, hast thou contended? For, with none of his reasons, will he respond.
14 For once God speaks, and twice (he does not behold it),
For, in one way, GOD may speak, —and, in a second way, one may not heed 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, a vision of the night, when a deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed,
16 Then He uncovers the ear of men, And seals for their instruction,
Then, uncovereth he the ear of men, and, on their correction, affixeth a seal;
17 To turn aside man [from] doing, And He conceals pride from man.
To turn a son of earth from his deed, while yet, pride, from man he concealeth:
18 He keeps back his soul from corruption, And his life from passing away by a dart.
He keepeth back his said from the pit, and his life from passing away by a weapon.
19 And he has been reproved With pain on his bed, And the strife of his bones [is] enduring.
Or he is chastised with pain, upon his bed, and, the strife of his bones, is unceasing!
20 And his life has nauseated bread, And his soul desirable food.
So that his life maketh loathsome [his] food, and his soul, dainty meat;
21 His flesh is consumed from being seen, And his bones are high, they were not seen!
His flesh wasteth away out of sight, and bared are the bones once unseen;
22 And his soul draws near to the pit, And his life to those causing death.
So doth his soul draw near to the pit, and his life to the inflicters of death:
23 If there is a messenger by him, An interpreter—one of a thousand, To declare for man his uprightness,
If there hath been near him a messenger who could interpret—one of a thousand, to declare to the son of earth His uprightness,
24 Then He favors him and says, Ransom him from going down to the pit, I have found an atonement.
Then hath he shewed him favour, and said, Set him free from going down to the pit, I have found a price of redemption!
25 Fresher [is] his flesh than a child’s, He returns to the days of his youth.
His flesh hath been made fresher than a child’s, he hath returned to the days of his youth;
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 made supplication unto GOD, who hath accepted him, and he hath beheld his face with a shout of triumph, Thus hath he given back to man his righteousness.
27 [Then] he looks on men and says, I sinned, and I have perverted uprightness, And it has not been profitable to me.
He sang before men, and said, I sinned, and, uprightness, I perverted, yet he requited me not;
28 He has ransomed my soul From going over into the pit, And my life looks on the light.
He hath ransomed my soul from passing away into the pit, —and, my life, in the light, shall have vision.
29 Behold, God works all these, Twice, [even] three times with man,
Lo! a these things, doth GOD work, two ways, three, with a man;
30 To bring back his soul from the pit, To be enlightened with the light of the living.
To bring back his soul from the pit, to enlighten with the light of the living.
31 Attend, O Job, listen to me, Keep silent, and I speak.
Mark well, O Job, and hearken to me, Be silent, and, I, will speak:
32 If there are words—answer me, Speak, for I have a desire to justify you.
If there is anything to say, reply to me, Speak, for I desire to justify thee;
33 If there are not—listen to me, Keep silent, and I teach you wisdom.”
If not, do, thou, hearken unto me, Be silent, that I may teach thee wisdom.
