Job 33
International Standard Version
Elihu Begins His Discourse
33 “Now please listen to what I have to say, Job.
Listen to every word!
2 Look! I’ve begun to speak,[a]
and I’m fashioning my words.[b]
3 I speak from the innocence[c] of my heart;
and my lips will utter what I sincerely know.
4 “The spirit of God fashioned me;
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 Answer me, if you can!
Present your case! Take your stand in my presence!
6 Look! As far as God is concerned,[d] I’m just like you are—
I, too, have been pinched off from a piece of clay.
7 Don’t be afraid of me;
I’ll go easy[e] on you.”
Elihu Reviews Job’s Claim for Innocence
8 “You spoke clearly so I could hear;
I’ve heard what you’ve said:
9 ‘I’m pure. I’m without sin;
I’m innocent. I’m harboring no iniquity inside of me.
10 Nevertheless, God[f] has found a pretext to attack me;
he considers me his enemy.
11 He has bound my feet in shackles,
and keeps watching everything I do.’”[g]
God Responds to Humanity’s Need
12 “You aren’t right about this;
My response is that God is greater than human beings.
13 Why are you arguing with him?
He doesn’t have to give explanations for what he does to you!
14 “God speaks time and time again[h]—
but nobody notices—
15 in a dream or night vision,
when a deep sleep falls on mankind
while they sleep on their beds.
16 That’s when he opens the ear of mankind,
authenticating his messages[i] to them,
17 turning a person from his actions,
keeping him[j] from pride,
18 sparing his soul from the Pit[k]
and his life from violent death.[l]
19 “He is being reproved by painful bed rest,
with continual aching in his bones.
20 He cannot stand his food,
and he[m] has no desire for appetizing food.
21 His flesh wastes away;
his bones, which once couldn’t be seen, are visible.
22 His soul is getting close to the Pit;[n]
his life is approaching its executioner.”
God Delivers through His Ransom
23 “If there’s a messenger[o] appointed to mediate for Job[p]
—one out of a thousand—
to represent the man’s integrity on his behalf,
24 to show favor to him and to plead,
‘Deliver him from having to go down to the Pit[q]—
I know where his ransom is!’
25 Let his flesh be rejuvenated[r] as he was in his youth!
Let him recover the strength of his youth.
26 Let him pray to God
and he will accept him;
he will appear before him with joyful shouts!”
The Song of the Ransomed
27 “He’ll sing to mankind with these words:
‘I’ve sinned. I have twisted what is right.
Yet he has not repaid me like I deserve.[s]
28 He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit;[t]
my life will see the light.’
29 Indeed God does all these things
again and again[u] with a person
30 to bring back his soul from the Pit;[v]
to light him with the light of life.”
Elihu Invites Job to Respond
31 “Job, pay attention! Listen to me!
Be silent and let me speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
speak up, because I’d be happy to vindicate you.
33 But if you have nothing to say, then at least listen to me!
Be quiet and learn some wisdom from me.”
Footnotes
- Job 33:2 Lit. I’ve opened my mouth
- Job 33:2 Lit. and my tongue speaks in my mouth
- Job 33:3 Or integrity
- Job 33:6 Lit. Look! Before God
- Job 33:7 Lit. my hand won’t be heavy
- Job 33:10 Lit. he
- Job 33:11 Lit. watching all my paths
- Job 33:14 Lit. speaks once and twice
- Job 33:16 Lit. mankind, sealing his instruction
- Job 33:17 Lit. man
- Job 33:18 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
- Job 33:18 Lit. from death by the sword
- Job 33:20 Lit. his soul
- Job 33:22 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
- Job 33:23 Or an angel
- Job 33:23 Lit. him
- Job 33:24 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
- Job 33:25 Lit. grew fresh
- Job 33:27 The Heb. lacks like I deserve
- Job 33:28 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
- Job 33:29 Lit. things twice, three times
- Job 33:30 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
Job 33
New King James Version
Elihu Contradicts Job
33 “But please, Job, hear my speech,
And listen to all my words.
2 Now, I open my mouth;
My tongue speaks in my mouth.
3 My words come from my upright heart;
My lips utter pure knowledge.
4 (A)The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 If you can answer me,
Set your words in order before me;
Take your stand.
6 (B)Truly I am [a]as your spokesman before God;
I also have been formed out of clay.
7 (C)Surely no fear of me will terrify you,
Nor will my hand be heavy on you.
8 “Surely you have spoken [b]in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying,
9 ‘I(D) am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 Yet He finds occasions against me,
(E)He counts me as His enemy;
11 (F)He puts my feet in the stocks,
He watches all my paths.’
12 “Look, in this you are not righteous.
I will answer you,
For God is greater than man.
13 Why do you (G)contend with Him?
For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.
14 (H)For God may speak in one way, or in another,
Yet man does not perceive it.
15 (I)In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
While slumbering on their beds,
16 (J)Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction.
17 In order to turn man from his deed,
And conceal pride from man,
18 He keeps back his soul from the Pit,
And his life from [c]perishing by the sword.
19 “Man is also chastened with pain on his (K)bed,
And with strong pain in many of his bones,
20 (L)So that his life abhors (M)bread,
And his soul [d]succulent food.
21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his bones stick out which once were not seen.
22 Yes, his soul draws near the Pit,
And his life to the executioners.
23 “If there is a messenger for him,
A mediator, one among a thousand,
To show man His uprightness,
24 Then He is gracious to him, and says,
‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit;
I have found [e]a ransom’;
25 His flesh shall be young like a child’s,
He shall return to the days of his youth.
26 He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him,
He shall see His face with joy,
For He restores to man His righteousness.
27 Then he looks at men and (N)says,
‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right,
And it (O)did not profit me.’
28 He will (P)redeem [f]his soul from going down to the Pit,
And his life shall see the light.
29 “Behold, God works all these things,
Twice, in fact, three times with a man,
30 (Q)To bring back his soul from the Pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
