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33 Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear my speech,
And hearken to all my words.
Behold now, I have opened my mouth;
My tongue hath spoken in my [a]mouth.
My words shall utter the uprightness of my heart;
And that which my lips know they shall speak sincerely.
The Spirit of God hath made me,
And the breath of the Almighty giveth me life.
If thou canst, answer thou me;
Set thy words in order before me, stand forth.
Behold, [b]I am toward God even as thou art:
I also am formed out of the clay.
Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid,
Neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee.

Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,
I am clean, without transgression;
I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me:
10 Behold, he findeth [c]occasions against me,
He counteth me for his enemy;
11 He putteth my feet in the stocks,
He marketh all my paths.
12 Behold, [d]I will answer thee, in this thou art not just;
For God is greater than man.

13 Why dost thou strive against him,
For that he giveth not account of any of his matters?
14 For God speaketh [e]once,
Yea twice, though man regardeth it not.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falleth upon men,
In slumberings upon the bed;
16 Then he [f]openeth the ears of men,
And sealeth their instruction,
17 [g]That he may withdraw man from his purpose,
And hide pride from man;
18 [h]He keepeth back his soul from the pit,
And his life from perishing by the [i]sword.

19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed,
[j]And with continual strife in his bones;
20 So that his life abhorreth bread,
And his soul dainty food.
21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen;
And his bones that were not seen stick out.
22 Yea, his soul draweth near unto the pit,
And his life to the destroyers.

23 If there be with him [k]an angel,
An interpreter, one [l]among a thousand,
To show unto man [m]what is right for him;
24 [n]Then God is gracious unto him, and saith,
Deliver him from going down to the pit,
I have found a ransom.
25 His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s;
He returneth to the days of his youth.
26 He prayeth unto God, and he is favorable unto him,
So that he seeth his face with joy:
And he restoreth unto man his righteousness.
27 He [o]singeth before men, and saith,
I have sinned, and perverted that which was right,
And [p]it profited me not:
28 He hath redeemed my soul from going into the pit,
And my life shall behold the light.

29 Lo, all these things doth God work,
Twice, yea thrice, with a man,
30 To bring back his soul from the pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of [q]the living.
31 Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me:
Hold thy peace, and I will speak.
32 If thou hast anything to say, answer me:
Speak, for I desire to justify thee.
33 If not, hearken thou unto me:
Hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.

Footnotes

  1. Job 33:2 Hebrew palate.
  2. Job 33:6 Or, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead
  3. Job 33:10 Or, causes of alienation
  4. Job 33:12 Or, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee; For etc.
  5. Job 33:14 Or, in one way, yea, in two
  6. Job 33:16 Hebrew uncovereth.
  7. Job 33:17 Or, That man may put away his purpose, And that he may hide
  8. Job 33:18 Or, That he may keep back
  9. Job 33:18 Or, weapons
  10. Job 33:19 Another reading is, While all his bones are firm.
  11. Job 33:23 Or, a messenger
  12. Job 33:23 Or, of the thousand
  13. Job 33:23 Or, his uprightness
  14. Job 33:24 Or, And he be gracious . . . and say . . . ransom: his flesh etc.
  15. Job 33:27 Or, looketh upon men
  16. Job 33:27 Or, it was not requited unto me. Or, it was not meet for me
  17. Job 33:30 Or, life

33 “But now, Job, listen(A) to my words;
    pay attention to everything I say.(B)
I am about to open my mouth;
    my words are on the tip of my tongue.
My words come from an upright heart;(C)
    my lips sincerely speak what I know.(D)
The Spirit(E) of God has made me;(F)
    the breath of the Almighty(G) gives me life.(H)
Answer me(I) then, if you can;
    stand up(J) and argue your case before me.(K)
I am the same as you in God’s sight;(L)
    I too am a piece of clay.(M)
No fear of me should alarm you,
    nor should my hand be heavy on you.(N)

“But you have said in my hearing—
    I heard the very words—
‘I am pure,(O) I have done no wrong;(P)
    I am clean and free from sin.(Q)
10 Yet God has found fault with me;
    he considers me his enemy.(R)
11 He fastens my feet in shackles;(S)
    he keeps close watch on all my paths.’(T)

12 “But I tell you, in this you are not right,
    for God is greater than any mortal.(U)
13 Why do you complain to him(V)
    that he responds to no one’s words[a]?(W)
14 For God does speak(X)—now one way, now another(Y)
    though no one perceives it.(Z)
15 In a dream,(AA) in a vision(AB) of the night,(AC)
    when deep sleep(AD) falls on people
    as they slumber in their beds,
16 he may speak(AE) in their ears
    and terrify them(AF) with warnings,(AG)
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
    and keep them from pride,(AH)
18 to preserve them from the pit,(AI)
    their lives from perishing by the sword.[b](AJ)

19 “Or someone may be chastened(AK) on a bed of pain(AL)
    with constant distress in their bones,(AM)
20 so that their body finds food(AN) repulsive
    and their soul loathes the choicest meal.(AO)
21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing,
    and their bones,(AP) once hidden, now stick out.(AQ)
22 They draw near to the pit,(AR)
    and their life to the messengers of death.[c](AS)
23 Yet if there is an angel at their side,
    a messenger,(AT) one out of a thousand,
    sent to tell them how to be upright,(AU)
24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God,
    ‘Spare them from going down to the pit;(AV)
    I have found a ransom for them(AW)
25 let their flesh be renewed(AX) like a child’s;
    let them be restored as in the days of their youth’(AY)
26 then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,(AZ)
    they will see God’s face and shout for joy;(BA)
    he will restore them to full well-being.(BB)
27 And they will go to others and say,
    ‘I have sinned,(BC) I have perverted what is right,(BD)
    but I did not get what I deserved.(BE)
28 God has delivered(BF) me from going down to the pit,(BG)
    and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’(BH)

29 “God does all these things to a person(BI)
    twice, even three times(BJ)
30 to turn them back(BK) from the pit,(BL)
    that the light of life(BM) may shine on them.(BN)

31 “Pay attention, Job, and listen(BO) to me;(BP)
    be silent,(BQ) and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;(BR)
    speak up, for I want to vindicate you.(BS)
33 But if not, then listen to me;(BT)
    be silent,(BU) and I will teach you wisdom.(BV)

Footnotes

  1. Job 33:13 Or that he does not answer for any of his actions
  2. Job 33:18 Or from crossing the river
  3. Job 33:22 Or to the place of the dead