Elihu Rebukes Job

33 “But now, hear my speech, O Job,
    and listen to all my words.
Behold, I (A)open my mouth;
    the tongue in my mouth speaks.
My words declare the uprightness of my heart,
    and what my lips know they speak sincerely.
(B)The Spirit of God has made me,
    and (C)the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
(D)Answer me, if you can;
    (E)set your words in order before me; take your stand.
Behold, I am toward God as you are;
    I too was pinched off from a piece of (F)clay.
Behold, no (G)fear of me need terrify you;
    my (H)pressure will not be heavy upon you.

“Surely you have spoken in my ears,
    and I have heard the sound of your words.
You say, ‘I am (I)pure, without (J)transgression;
    I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 Behold, he finds occasions against me,
    he (K)counts me as his enemy,
11 he (L)puts my feet in the stocks
    and (M)watches all my paths.’

12 “Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you,
    for God is greater than man.
13 Why do you (N)contend against him,
    saying, ‘He (O)will answer none of man's[a] words’?[b]
14 For God (P)speaks in one way,
    (Q)and in two, though man (R)does not perceive it.
15 In (S)a dream, in (T)a vision of (U)the night,
    when (V)deep sleep falls on men,
    while they slumber on their beds,
16 then he (W)opens the ears of men
    and terrifies[c] them with warnings,
17 that he may turn man aside from his (X)deed
    and conceal pride from a man;
18 he keeps back his soul from the pit,
    his life from (Y)perishing by the sword.

19 “Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed
    and with continual strife in his (Z)bones,
20 so that his (AA)life loathes bread,
    and his appetite (AB)the choicest food.
21 His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,
    and his bones that were not seen (AC)stick out.
22 His soul draws near (AD)the pit,
    and his life to (AE)those who bring death.
23 If there be for him (AF)an angel,
    (AG)a mediator, (AH)one of the thousand,
    to declare to man what is (AI)right for him,
24 and he is merciful to him, and says,
    ‘Deliver him from going down into the pit;
    I have found (AJ)a ransom;
25 let his flesh (AK)become fresh with youth;
    let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’;
26 then man[d] (AL)prays to God, and he accepts him;
    he (AM)sees his face with a shout of joy,
and he (AN)restores to man his righteousness.
27     He sings before men and says:
‘I (AO)sinned and perverted what was right,
    and it was not repaid to me.
28 He has redeemed my (AP)soul from going down (AQ)into the pit,
    and my life shall (AR)look upon the light.’

29 “Behold, God does all these things,
    twice, (AS)three times, with a man,
30 to bring back his soul from the pit,
    that he may be lighted with (AT)the light of life.
31 Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;
    be silent, and I will speak.
32 If you have any words, (AU)answer me;
    (AV)speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 If not, (AW)listen to me;
    be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 33:13 Hebrew his
  2. Job 33:13 Or He will not answer for any of his own words
  3. Job 33:16 Or seals
  4. Job 33:26 Hebrew he

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