Job 33
1 “But now, Job, listen carefully to all that I am going to say [DOU].
Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear mine utterances, and hearken to all my words.
2 I am ready to tell you [MTY, DOU] [what I think].
Behold now, I have opened my mouth, my tongue speaketh in my palate,
3 I know that I am speaking honestly and that I am speaking [MTY] sincerely.
My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart, and my lips shall utter knowledge purely.
4 Almighty God has created me [as well as you], and his breath has caused me to live.
The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
5 So, answer [what] I [say] if you can; think carefully [about how you will reply to me].
If thou canst, answer me; array [thy words] before me: take thy stand.
6 “God considers that you, and I are both [equal]; he formed both of us from clay.
Behold, before God I am as thou; I also am formed out of the clay.
7 So you do not need to be afraid of me; I will not crush/oppress you [by what I say] [MTY].
Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, nor my burden be heavy upon thee.
8 I have heard you [DOU] speaking, and this is what you have said:
Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of [thy] words: —
9 ‘I am innocent; I have not committed any sins; I am pure; I have not done things that are wrong.
I am clean without transgression; I am pure, and there is no iniquity in me;
10 But God finds reasons to accuse me, and he considers that I am his enemy.
Lo, he findeth occasions of hostility against me, he counteth me for his enemy;
11 [It is as though] he has put my feet (in stocks/between wooden blocks to prevent me from walking away), and he watches everything that I do.’ [MTY]
He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.
12 But what you have said is wrong, and I will tell you [what you have said that is wrong]. God is much greater than any human.
Behold, I will answer thee in this, thou art not right; for God is greater than man.
13 So, (why are you arguing against God, saying ‘He never answers my questions’?/you should not be arguing against God, saying ‘He never answers my questions.’) [RHQ]
Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.
14 God does speak [to us] in various ways, but we do not pay any attention to what he says.
For God speaketh once, and twice, — [and man] perceiveth it not —
15 [Sometimes he speaks to us] at night in dreams and visions, when we are on our beds, asleep [DOU].
In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
16 He reveals things [MTY] to us and terrifies us by the things he warns us about.
Then he openeth men's ears, and sealeth their instruction,
17 He tell us those things in order that we stop doing [evil] things and to prevent us from becoming proud.
That he may withdraw man [from his] work, and hide pride from man.
18 He does not want us to be destroyed [MTY]; he wants to prevent us from dying [MTY] [while we are still young].
He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from passing away by the sword.
19 God also [sometimes] corrects us by forcing us to lie on our beds suffering much pain and with fever/aching in our bones.
He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and with constant strife in his bones;
20 The result is that we do not desire any food, not even very special food.
And his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty food;
21 Our bodies become very thin, with the result that we look like skeletons [HYP], and our bones stick out.
His flesh is consumed away from view, and his bones that were not seen stick out;
22 [We know that] we will soon die and go to the place where dead people are.
And his soul draweth near to the pit, and his life to the destroyers.
23 “But sometimes an angel [may come to one of us], one of the thousands of angels who come to intervene between us and God, to tell us what are the right things for us [to do].
If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his duty;
24 The angel is kind to us and says to God, ‘Release that person, so that he does not descend to the place where dead people are! Do that because I have found the money to pay so that he can be released!
Then he will be gracious unto him, and say, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.
25 Allow his body to be strong again; allow him to be strong like he was when he was a youth!’
His flesh shall be fresher than in childhood; he shall return to the days of his youth.
26 When that happens, that person will pray to God, and God will accept/answer him; he will (enter God’s presence/worship God) joyfully, and then he will tell others how God saved him [from dying].
He shall pray unto God, and he will receive him with favour; and he shall see his face with shoutings, and he will render unto man his righteousness.
27 He will sing as he tells everyone, ‘I sinned, and I did things that were not right, but God did not punish me in the way that I deserved.
He will sing before men, and say, I have sinned, and perverted what was right, and it hath not been requited to me;
28 He has saved me from dying and going to the place where dead people are, and I will continue to enjoy being alive.’
He hath delivered my soul from going into the pit, and my life shall see the light.
29 God does all these things for us many times;
Lo, all these [things] worketh God twice, thrice, with man,
30 he keeps us [SYN] from [dying and] going to the place where the dead are, in order that we can continue to enjoy being alive [IDM].
To bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of the living.
31 So Job, listen to me; do not say anything more; just allow me to speak.
Mark well, Job, hearken unto me; be silent, and I will speak.
32 [After I speak], if you have something more that you want to say to me, say it, because I would like to find a way to declare that you (are innocent/have not done what is wrong).
If thou hast anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify thee.
33 But if you have nothing more that you want to say, then just listen to me, and I will teach you how to become wise.”
If not, hearken thou unto me; be silent, and I will teach thee wisdom.
