Job 33
1 Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear mine utterances, and hearken to all my words.
Now listen to me, Job. Pay attention to everything I have to say.
2 Behold now, I have opened my mouth, my tongue speaketh in my palate,
Look, I'm about to speak; my mouth is ready to talk.
3 My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart, and my lips shall utter knowledge purely.
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 Almighty hath given me life.
The spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 If thou canst, answer me; array [thy words] before me: take thy stand.
Answer me, if you can. Stand in front of me and prepare to defend yourself.
6 Behold, before God I am as thou; I also am formed out of the clay.
Look, before God we are both the same. I was also made from a piece of clay.
7 Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, nor my burden be heavy upon thee.
See here, you don't need to be frightened of me. I won't be too hard on you.
8 Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of [thy] words: —
You spoke in my hearing and I have listened to everything you had to say.
9 I am clean without transgression; I am pure, and there is no iniquity in me;
You say, ‘I'm clean, I've done nothing wrong; I'm pure, I have not sinned.
10 Lo, he findeth occasions of hostility against me, he counteth me for his enemy;
See how God finds fault with me and treats me as his enemy.
11 He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.
He puts my feet in the stocks and watches everything I do.’
12 Behold, I will answer thee in this, thou art not right; for God is greater than man.
But look, you are wrong—let me explain. God is greater than any human being.
13 Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.
Why are you fighting against him, complaining that God isn't answering your questions?
14 For God speaketh once, and twice, — [and man] perceiveth it not —
God speaks over and over again, but people don't notice.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
Through dreams and visions in the night, when people fall into deep sleep, resting on their beds,
16 Then he openeth men's ears, and sealeth their instruction,
God speaks to them with solemn warnings
17 That he may withdraw man [from his] work, and hide pride from man.
to turn them away from doing wrong and to stop them from becoming proud.
18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from passing away by the sword.
He saves them from the grave and spares them from violent death.
19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and with constant strife in his bones;
People are also disciplined on a bed of pain with constant aching in their bones.
20 And his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty food;
They have no desire to eat; they do not even want their favorite dishes.
21 His flesh is consumed away from view, and his bones that were not seen stick out;
Their flesh wastes away to nothing; all that's left is skin and bones.
22 And his soul draweth near to the pit, and his life to the destroyers.
They are close to death; their lives approaching the executioner.
23 If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his duty;
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 will be gracious unto him, and say, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.
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 His flesh shall be fresher than in childhood; he shall return 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 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.
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 will sing before men, and say, I have sinned, and perverted what was right, and it hath not been requited 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 delivered my soul from going into the pit, and my life shall see the light.
He saved me from going down into the grave and I will live in the light.’
29 Lo, all these [things] worketh God twice, thrice, with man,
Look, God does this time and again for people;
30 To bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of the living.
he saves them from the grave so they might see the light of life.
31 Mark well, Job, hearken unto me; be silent, and I will speak.
Pay attention Job, and listen to me! Be quiet—let me speak!
32 If thou hast anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify thee.
But if you have anything to say, then speak up.
33 If not, hearken thou unto me; be silent, and I will teach thee wisdom.
If not, listen to me. Keep quiet and I will teach you wisdom.”
