33:1 “But now, O Job, listen to my words,
and hear 1 everything I have to say! 2
33:2 See now, I have opened 3 my mouth;
my tongue in my mouth has spoken. 4
33:3 My words come from the uprightness of my heart, 5
and my lips will utter knowledge sincerely. 6
33:4 The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. 7
33:5 Reply to me, if you can;
set your arguments 8 in order before me
and take your stand!
33:6 Look, I am just like you in relation to God;
I too have been molded 9 from clay.
33:7 Therefore no fear of me should terrify you,
nor should my pressure 10 be heavy on you. 11
33:8 “Indeed, you have said in my hearing 12
(I heard the sound of the words!):
33:9 13 ‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am clean 14 and have no iniquity.
33:10 15 Yet God 16 finds occasions 17 with me;
he regards me as his enemy!
33:11 18 He puts my feet in shackles;
he watches closely all my paths.’
33:12 Now in this, you are not right – I answer you, 19
for God is greater than a human being. 20
33:13 Why do you contend against him,
that he does not answer all a person’s 21 words?
33:14 “For God speaks, the first time in one way,
the second time in another,
though a person does not perceive 22 it.
33:15 In a dream, a night vision,
when deep sleep falls on people
as they sleep in their beds.
33:16 Then he gives a revelation 23 to people,
and terrifies them with warnings, 24
33:17 to turn a person from his sin, 25
and to cover a person’s pride. 26
33:18 He spares a person’s life from corruption, 27
his very life from crossing over 28 the river.
33:19 Or a person is chastened 29 by pain on his bed,
and with the continual strife of his bones, 30
33:20 so that his life loathes food,
and his soul rejects appetizing fare. 31
33:21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
and his bones, which were not seen,
are easily visible. 32
33:22 He 33 draws near to the place of corruption,
and his life to the messengers of death. 34
33:23 If there is an angel beside him,
one mediator 35 out of a thousand,
to tell a person what constitutes his uprightness; 36
33:24 and if 37 God 38 is gracious to him and says,
‘Spare 39 him from going down
to the place of corruption,
I have found a ransom for him,’ 40
33:25 then his flesh is restored 41 like a youth’s;
he returns to the days of his youthful vigor. 42
33:26 He entreats God, and God 43 delights in him,
he sees God’s face 44 with rejoicing,
and God 45 restores to him his righteousness. 46
33:27 That person sings 47 to others, 48 saying:
‘I have sinned and falsified what is right,
but I was not punished according to what I deserved. 49
33:28 He redeemed my life 50
from going down to the place of corruption,
and my life sees the light!’
33:29 “Indeed, God does all these things,
twice, three times, in his dealings 52 with a person,
33:30 to turn back his life from the place of corruption,
that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
33:31 Pay attention, Job – listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
33:32 If you have any words, 53 reply to me;
speak, for I want to justify you. 54
33:33 If not, you listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”