Job 33

1 “But now, O Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words.

So now, Job, I beg you, hear my speech; listen to all my words.

2 Behold, I will open my mouth; my address is on the tip of my tongue.

See now, I have opened my mouth; my tongue has spoken in my mouth.

3 My words are from an upright heart, and my lips speak sincerely what I know.

My words come from the uprightness of my heart; my lips speak pure knowledge.

4 The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty has given me life.

5 Refute me if you can; prepare your case and confront me.

If you can, answer me; set your words in order before me and stand up.

6 I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay.

See, I am just as you are in God's sight; I also have been formed out of the clay.

7 Surely no fear of me should terrify you; nor will my hand be heavy upon you.

See, terror of me will not make you afraid; neither will my pressure be heavy upon you.

8 Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words:

You have certainly spoken in my hearing; I have heard the sound of your words saying,

9 ‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me.

'I am clean and without transgression; I am innocent, and there is no sin in me.

10 Yet God finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy.

See, God finds opportunities to attack me; he regards me as his enemy.

11 He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches over all my paths.’

He puts my feet in stocks; he watches all my paths.'

12 Behold, you are not right in this matter. I will answer you, for God is greater than man.

See, in this you are not right—I will answer you, for God is greater than man.

13 Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks?

Why do you struggle against him? He does not account for any of his doings.

14 For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices.

For God speaks once— yes, twice, though man does not notice it.

15 In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds,

In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, in slumber on the bed—

16 He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings

then God opens the ears of men, and frightens them with threats,

17 to turn a man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride,

in order to pull man back from his sinful purposes, and keep pride from him.

18 to preserve his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword.

God keeps man's life back from the pit, his life from crossing over to death.

19 A man is also chastened on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones,

Man is punished also with pain on his bed, with constant agony in his bones,

20 so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food.

so that his life abhors food, and his soul abhors delicacies.

21 His flesh wastes away from sight, and his hidden bones protrude.

His flesh is consumed away so that it cannot be seen; his bones, once not seen, now stick out.

22 He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the messengers of death.

Indeed, his soul draws close to the pit, his life to those who wish to destroy it.

23 Yet if there is a messenger on his side, one mediator in a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him,

But if there is an angel who can be a mediator for him, a mediator, one from among the thousands of angels, to show him what is right to do,

24 to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found his ransom,’

and if the angel is kind to him and says to God, 'Save this person from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for him,'

25 then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth.

then his flesh will become fresher than a child's; he will return to the days of his youthful strength.

26 He prays to God and finds favor; he sees God’s face and shouts for joy, and God restores His righteousness to that man.

He will pray to God, and God will be kind to him, so that he sees God's face with joy. God will give the person his triumph.

27 Then he sings before men with these words: ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved.

Then that person will sing in front of other people and say, 'I sinned and perverted that which was right, but my sin was not punished.

28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light.’

God has rescued my soul from going down into the pit; my life will continue to see light.'

29 Behold, all these things God does to a man, two or even three times,

See, God does all these things with a person, twice, yes, even three times,

30 to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.

to bring his soul back from the pit, so that he may be enlightened with the light of life.

31 Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.

Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent and I will speak.

32 But if you have something to say, answer me; speak up, for I would like to vindicate you.

If you have anything to say, answer me; speak, for I wish to prove that you are in the right.

33 But if not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”

If not, then listen to me; remain silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”