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Elihu Asks Job to Hear and Respond

33 “However now, Job, please (A)hear my speech,
And give ear to all my words.
Behold now, I open my mouth;
My tongue in my [a]mouth speaks.
My words are from the uprightness of my heart,
And my lips speak (B)knowledge sincerely.
The (C)Spirit of God has made me,
And the (D)breath of [b]the Almighty gives me life.
(E)Respond to me if you can;
Arrange yourselves before me, take your stand.
Behold, I belong to God like you;
I too have been [c]formed out of the (F)clay.
Behold, (G)no dread of me should terrify you,
Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you.

“Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your speech:
‘I am (H)pure, (I)without transgression;
I am innocent, and there (J)is no guilt in me.
10 Behold, He finds reasons for opposition against me;
He (K)counts me as His enemy.
11 He (L)puts my feet in the stocks;
He keeps watch over all my paths.’
12 Behold, let me answer you; (M)you are not right in this,
For God is greater than mortal man.

13 “Why do you (N)contend against Him?
For He does not give an answer for all His doings.
14 Indeed (O)God speaks once,
Or twice, yet no one perceives it.
15 In a (P)dream, a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
While they slumber in their beds,
16 Then (Q)He opens the ears of men,
And seals in their discipline,
17 That He may turn man aside from his conduct,
And [d]keep man from pride;
18 He (R)holds back his soul from the pit,
And his life from passing over [e]to death (S)by a weapon.

19 [f]Man is also reproved with (T)pain on his bed,
And with unceasing contention in his bones,
20 So that his life (U)loathes bread,
And his soul favorite food.
21 His (V)flesh wastes away from sight,
And his (W)bones which were not seen stick out.
22 Then (X)his soul draws near to the pit,
And his life to those who bring death.

23 “If there is an angel as (Y)mediator for him,
One out of a thousand,
To declare to a man what is [g]right for him,
24 Then let him be gracious to him, and say,
‘Deliver him from (Z)going down to the pit;
I have found (AA)atonement’;
25 Let his flesh become fresher than in youth,
Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor;
26 Then he will (AB)entreat God, and He will accept him,
And (AC)he will see His face with joyful shouts,
And He may restore His righteousness to man.
27 He will sing to men and say,
‘I (AD)have sinned and perverted what is right,
But He has not done (AE)what is due to me.
28 He has redeemed my soul from passing into the pit,
And my life shall (AF)see the light.’

29 “Behold, God does (AG)all these things twice, three times with men,
30 To (AH)bring back his soul from the pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.
31 Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;
Keep silent, and I will speak.
32 Then if [h]you have any speech, respond to me;
Speak, for I desire to prove you righteous.
33 If not, (AI)listen to me;
Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 33:2 Lit palate
  2. Job 33:4 Heb Shaddai
  3. Job 33:6 Lit cut out of
  4. Job 33:17 Lit hide
  5. Job 33:18 Or Sheol
  6. Job 33:19 Lit He
  7. Job 33:23 Lit his uprightness
  8. Job 33:32 Lit there are words

33 “约伯啊,请听我言,
请留心听我每一句话。
我要开口发言,
我话已在舌尖。
我的话发自正直的心,
我的口如实陈明道理。
上帝的灵创造了我,
全能者的气赋予我生命。
如果你能,就反驳我,
站出来与我辩论。
在上帝面前,我与你无异,
也是泥土造的。
所以你不用惧怕我,
我不会对你施加压力。

“你的话已进到我耳中,
我听见你说,
‘我纯全无过,
我清白无罪,
10 上帝却挑我的错,
与我为敌;
11 祂给我戴上脚镣,
鉴察我的一举一动。’

12 “我来答复你,你的话没有道理,
因为上帝比世人大。
13 你为何向祂抱怨,
说祂不理会世人的话?
14 上帝一再用各种方式说话,
然而世人却不明白。
15 人躺在床上沉睡时,
在梦境和夜间的异象中,
16 上帝开启他们的耳朵,
用警告惊吓他们,
17 使他们离开罪恶,
不再骄傲,
18 以免他们的灵魂坠入深坑,
他们的性命被刀剑夺去。

19 “人因受罚而卧病在床,
骨头疼痛不止,
20 以致毫无食欲,
对佳肴心生厌恶。
21 他日渐消瘦,
只剩下骨头。
22 他的灵魂临近深坑,
他的生命濒临死亡。
23 如果一千天使中有一位能做他的中保,
指示他当行的事,
24 上帝[a]就会怜悯他,说,‘别让他下坟墓,
我已得到他的赎金。’
25 那时,他的皮肉将嫩如孩童,
他将恢复青春的活力。
26 他向上帝祷告时必蒙悦纳,
他欢呼着朝见上帝,
再度被祂视为义人。
27 他会当众歌唱说,
‘我犯了罪,颠倒是非,
祂却没有按我的罪报应我。
28 祂救赎我的灵魂,使之免下深坑,
使我的生命得见光明。’

29 “看啊,这都是上帝的作为,
祂一次次地恩待世人,
30 从深坑救回人的灵魂,
使他沐浴生命之光。
31 约伯啊,留心听我说,
不要作声,我要发言。
32 你若有话,就答复我;
你只管说,我愿看到你的清白。
33 否则,请听我言;
不要作声,我要传授你智慧。”

Footnotes

  1. 33:24 上帝”希伯来文是“他”,也可能指天使。