Job 33
1 And yet, I pray thee, O Job, Hear my speech and [to] all my words give ear.
Now listen to me, Job. Pay attention to everything I have to say.
2 Lo, I pray thee, I have opened my mouth, My tongue hath 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 knowledge have my lips clearly spoken.
My words come from my upright heart; my lips speak sincerely of what I know.
4 The Spirit of God hath made me, And the breath of the Mighty doth quicken me.
The spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 If thou art able — answer me, Set in array before me — station thyself.
Answer me, if you can. Stand in front of me and prepare to defend yourself.
6 Lo, I [am], according to thy word, for God, From the clay I — I also, have been formed.
Look, before God we are both the same. I was also made from a piece of clay.
7 Lo, my terror doth not frighten thee, And my burden on thee is not heavy.
See here, you don't need to be frightened of me. I won't be too hard on you.
8 Surely — thou hast said in mine ears, And the sounds of words I hear:
You spoke in my hearing and I have listened to everything you had to say.
9 'Pure [am] I, without transgression, Innocent [am] I, and I have no iniquity.
You say, ‘I'm clean, I've done nothing wrong; I'm pure, I have not sinned.
10 Lo, occasions against me He doth find, He doth reckon me for an enemy to Him,
See how God finds fault with me and treats me as his enemy.
11 He doth put in the stocks my feet, He doth watch all my paths.'
He puts my feet in the stocks and watches everything I do.’
12 Lo, [in] this thou hast not been righteous, I answer thee, that greater is God than man.
But look, you are wrong—let me explain. God is greater than any human being.
13 Wherefore against Him hast thou striven, When [for] all His matters He answereth not?
Why are you fighting against him, complaining that God isn't answering your questions?
14 For once doth God speak, and twice, (He doth 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 uncovereth the ear of men, And for their instruction sealeth:
God speaks to them with solemn warnings
17 To turn aside man [from] doing, And pride from man He concealeth.
to turn them away from doing wrong and to stop them from becoming proud.
18 He keepeth 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 hath 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 hath 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 high are his bones, they were not seen!
Their flesh wastes away to nothing; all that's left is skin and bones.
22 And draw near to the pit doth his soul, And his life to those causing death.
They are close to death; their lives approaching the executioner.
23 If there is by him a messenger, 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 doth favour him and saith, '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 returneth 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 maketh supplication unto God, And He accepteth him. And he seeth His face with shouting, And He returneth 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 He looketh on men, and saith, 'I sinned, And uprightness I have perverted, And it hath 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 hath ransomed my soul From going over into the pit, And my life on the light looketh.'
He saved me from going down into the grave and I will live in the light.’
29 Lo, all these doth God work, Twice — thrice 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, hearken to me, Keep silent, and I — I do 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 thee.
But if you have anything to say, then speak up.
33 If there are not — hearken thou to me, Keep silent, and I teach thee wisdom.
If not, listen to me. Keep quiet and I will teach you wisdom.”
