Job 33

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

And now, O Job, give ear to my words, and take note of all I say.

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

See, now my mouth is open, my tongue gives out words.

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

My heart is overflowing with knowledge, my lips say what is true.

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

The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Ruler of all gives me life.

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

If you are able, give me an answer; put your cause in order, and come forward.

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

See, I am the same as you are in the eyes of God; I was cut off from the same bit of wet earth.

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

Fear of me will not overcome you, and my hand will not be hard on you.

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

But you said in my hearing, and your voice came to my ears:

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

I am clean, without sin; I am washed, and there is no evil in me:

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

See, he is looking for something against me; in his eyes I am as one of his haters;

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

He puts chains on my feet; he is watching all my ways.

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

Truly, in saying this you are wrong; for God is greater than man.

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

Why do you put forward your cause against him, saying, He gives no answer to any of my words?

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

For God gives his word in one way, even in two, and man is not conscious of it:

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

In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep comes on men, while they take their rest on their beds;

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

Then he makes his secrets clear to men, so that they are full of fear at what they see;

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

In order that man may be turned from his evil works, and that pride may be taken away from him;

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

To keep back his soul from the underworld, and his life from destruction.

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

Pain is sent on him as a punishment, while he is on his bed; there is no end to the trouble in his bones;

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

He has no desire for food, and his soul is turned away from delicate meat;

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

His flesh is so wasted away, that it may not be seen, and his bones. ...

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

And his soul comes near to the underworld, and his life to the angels of death.

23 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,

If now there may be an angel sent to him, one of the thousands which there are to be between him and God, and to make clear to man what is right for him;

24 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,'

And if he has mercy on him, and says, Let him not go down to the underworld, I have given the price for his life:

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

Then his flesh becomes young again, and he comes back to the days of his early strength;

26 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.

He makes his prayer to God, and he has mercy on him; he sees God's face with cries of joy; he gives news of his righteousness to men;

27 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.

He makes a song, saying, I did wrong, turning from the straight way, but he did not give me the reward of my sin.

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

He kept my soul from the underworld, and my life sees the light in full measure.

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

Truly, God does all these things to man, twice and three times,

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

Keeping back his soul from the underworld, so that he may see the light of life.

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

Take note O Job, give ear to me; keep quiet, while I say what is in my mind.

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

If you have anything to say, give me an answer; for it is my desire that you may be judged free from sin.

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

If not, give attention to me, and keep quiet, and I will give you wisdom.