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

Elihu Claims to Speak for God

33 “However, Job, please listen to my words,
And pay attention to everything I say.

“Behold, I have opened my mouth [to begin my speech];
My tongue in my mouth is going to speak.

“My words will express the uprightness of my heart,
And my lips will speak what they know with utter sincerity.

“The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of [a]the Almighty gives me life [which inspires me].

“Answer me, if you can;
Set yourselves before me, take your stand.

“Behold, I belong to God like you;
I too was formed out of the clay.

“Behold, I will not make you afraid or terrified of me [for I am only mortal and not God],
Nor should any pressure from me weigh heavily upon you.


“Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying:

‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent and there is no guilt in me.
10 
‘Behold, God finds pretexts against me;
He counts me as His enemy.
11 
‘He puts my feet in the stocks [to hinder and humiliate me];
He [suspiciously] watches all my paths,’ [you say].
12 
“Look, let me answer you, in this you are not right or just;
For God is greater and far superior to man.

13 
“Why do you complain against Him?
That He does not answer [you with] all His doings.
14 
“For God speaks once,
And even twice, yet no one notices it [including you, Job].
15 
“In a dream, a vision of the night [one may hear God’s voice],
When deep sleep falls on men
While slumbering upon the bed,
16 
Then He opens the ears of men
And seals their instruction,
17 
That He may turn man aside from his conduct,
And keep him from pride;
18 
He holds back his soul from the pit [of destruction],
And his life from passing over into Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).

19 
“Man is also disciplined with pain on his bed,
And with unceasing complaint in his bones,
20 
So that his life makes him loathe food,
And his soul [loathe] even his favorite dishes.
21 
“His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,
And his bones which were not seen now stick out.
22 
“Then his soul draws near to the pit [of destruction],
And his life to those who bring death (the destroyers).

23 
“If there is an angel as a mediator for him,
One out of a thousand,
To explain to a man what is right for him [that is, how to be in right standing with God],
24 
Then [b]the angel is gracious to him, and says,
‘Spare him from going down to the pit [of destruction];
I have found a ransom [a consideration, or reason for redemption, an atonement]!’
25 
“Let his flesh be restored and become fresher than in youth;
Let him return to the days of his youthful strength.
26 
“He will pray to God, and He shall be favorable to him,
So that he looks at His face with joy;
For God restores to man His righteousness [that is, his right standing with God—with its joys].
27 
“He sings out to other men,
‘I have sinned and perverted that which was right,
And it was not proper for me!
28 
‘God has redeemed my life from going to the pit [of destruction],
And my life shall see the light.’”

29 
[Elihu comments,] “Behold, God does all these things [c]twice, yes, three times, with a man,
30 
To bring his life back from the pit [of destruction],
That he may be enlightened with the light of the living.
31 
“Pay attention, Job, listen to me;
Keep silent, and I will speak.
32 
“If you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 
“If not [and you have nothing to say], listen to me;
Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 33:4 Heb Shaddai.
  2. Job 33:24 Lit he.
  3. Job 33:29 Or often.