< Job 33 >
1 Audi igitur Iob eloquia mea, et omnes sermones meos ausculta.
But, in very deed, hear, I pray thee, Job, my discourse, and, to all my words, give thou ear.
2 Ecce aperui os meum, loquatur lingua mea in faucibus meis.
Lo! I pray thee, I have opened my mouth, My tongue, with my palate, hath spoken,
3 Simplici corde meo sermones mei, et sententiam puram labia mea loquentur.
Mine utterances come straight from mine own heart, and, what I know, my lips have truly spoken;
4 Spiritus Dei fecit me, et spiraculum Omnipotentis vivificavit me.
The spirit of GOD, hath made me, and, the inspiration of the Almighty, giveth me life.
5 Si potes, responde mihi, et adversus faciem meam consiste.
If thou art able to answer me, Set in order before me—take thy stand!
6 Ecce, et me sicut et te fecit Deus, et de eodem luto ego quoque formatus sum.
Lo! I am like thyself toward GOD, From clay, have I been nipped off, even I!
7 Verumtamen miraculum meum non te terreat, et eloquentia mea non sit tibi gravis.
Lo! my terror, will not startle thee, nor, my hand, upon thee, be heavy.
8 Dixisti ergo in auribus meis, et vocem verborum tuorum audivi:
But thou hast spoken in mine ears, and, the sound of words, I heard: —
9 Mundus sum ego, et absque delicto: immaculatus, et non est iniquitas in me.
Pure am, I, without transgression, —Clean am, I, and have no iniquity;
10 Quia querelas in me reperit, ideo arbitratus est me inimicum sibi.
Lo! occasions of hostility, would he find against me, He counteth me an enemy to him;
11 Posuit in nervo pedes meos, custodivit omnes semitas meas.
He putteth—in the stocks—my feet, He watcheth all my paths.
12 Hoc est ergo, in quo non es iustificatus: respondebo tibi, quia maior sit Deus homine.
Lo! in this, thou hast not been right—let me answer thee, For, GOD, is greater than, man.
13 Adversus eum contendis quod non ad omnia verba responderit tibi?
Wherefore, against him, hast thou contended? For, with none of his reasons, will he respond.
14 Semel loquitur Deus, et secundo idipsum non repetit.
For, in one way, GOD may speak, —and, in a second way, one may not heed it: —
15 Per somnium in visione nocturna, quando irruit sopor super homines, et dormiunt in lectulo:
In a dream, a vision of the night, when a deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed,
16 Tunc aperit aures virorum, et erudiens eos instruit disciplina,
Then, uncovereth he the ear of men, and, on their correction, affixeth a seal;
17 Ut avertat hominem ab his, quæ facit, et liberet eum de superbia:
To turn a son of earth from his deed, while yet, pride, from man he concealeth:
18 Eruens animam eius a corruptione: et vitam illius, ut non transeat in gladium.
He keepeth back his said from the pit, and his life from passing away by a weapon.
19 Increpat quoque per dolorem in lectulo, et omnia ossa eius marcescere facit.
Or he is chastised with pain, upon his bed, and, the strife of his bones, is unceasing!
20 Abominabilis ei fit in vita sua panis, et animæ illius cibus ante desiderabilis.
So that his life maketh loathsome [his] food, and his soul, dainty meat;
21 Tabescet caro eius, et ossa, quæ tecta fuerant, nudabuntur.
His flesh wasteth away out of sight, and bared are the bones once unseen;
22 Appropinquavit corruptioni anima eius, et vita illius mortiferis.
So doth his soul draw near to the pit, and his life to the inflicters of death:
23 Si fuerit pro eo Angelus loquens, unus de millibus, ut annunciet hominis æquitatem:
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 Miserebitur eius, et dicet: Libera eum, ut non descendat in corruptionem: inveni in quo ei propitier.
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 Consumpta est caro eius a suppliciis, revertatur ad dies adolescentiæ suæ.
His flesh hath been made fresher than a child’s, he hath returned to the days of his youth;
26 Deprecabitur Deum, et placabilis ei erit: et videbit faciem eius in iubilo, et reddet homini iustitiam suam.
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 Respiciet homines, et dicet: Peccavi, et vere deliqui, et, ut eram dignus, non recepi.
He sang before men, and said, I sinned, and, uprightness, I perverted, yet he requited me not;
28 Liberavit animam suam ne pergeret in interitum, sed vivens lucem videret.
He hath ransomed my soul from passing away into the pit, —and, my life, in the light, shall have vision.
29 Ecce, hæc omnia operatur Deus tribus vicibus per singulos.
Lo! a these things, doth GOD work, two ways, three, with a man;
30 Ut revocet animas eorum a corruptione, et illuminet luce viventium.
To bring back his soul from the pit, to enlighten with the light of the living.
31 Attende Iob, et audi me: et tace, dum loquor.
Mark well, O Job, and hearken to me, Be silent, and, I, will speak:
32 Si autem habes quod loquaris, responde mihi, loquere: volo enim, te apparere iustum.
If there is anything to say, reply to me, Speak, for I desire to justify thee;
33 Quod si non habes, audi me: tace, et docebo te sapientiam.
If not, do, thou, hearken unto me, Be silent, that I may teach thee wisdom.