Job 33
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
33 Be that as it may, Job, I beg of you to hear what I have to say and give heed to all my words.
2 Behold, here I am with open mouth; here is my tongue talking.
3 My words shall express the uprightness of my heart, and my lips shall speak what they know with utter sincerity.
4 [It is] the Spirit of God that made me [which has stirred me up], and the breath of the Almighty that gives me life [which inspires me].
5 Answer me now, if you can; set your words in order before me; take your stand.
6 Behold, I am toward God and before Him even as you are; I also am formed out of the clay [though I speak with abnormal wisdom because of a divine illumination].
7 See my terror [for I am only a fellow mortal, not God]; I shall not make you afraid, neither shall my pressure be heavy upon you.
8 Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of your words, saying,
9 I am clean, without transgression; I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me.
10 But behold, God finds occasions against me and causes of alienation and indifference; He counts me as His enemy.
11 He puts my feet in the stocks; He [untrustingly] watches all my paths [you say].
12 I reply to you, Behold, in this you are not just; God is superior to man.
13 Why do you contend against Him? For He does not give account of any of His actions. [Sufficient for us it should be to know that it is He Who does them.]
14 For God [does reveal His will; He] speaks not only once, but more than once, even though men do not regard it [including you, Job].
15 [One may hear God’s voice] in a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men while slumbering upon the bed,
16 Then He opens the ears of men and seals their instruction [terrifying them with warnings],
17 That He may withdraw man from his purpose and cut off pride from him [disgusting him with his own disappointing self-sufficiency].
18 He holds him back from the pit [of destruction], and his life from perishing by the sword [of God’s destructive judgments].
19 [God’s voice may be heard by man when] he is chastened with pain upon his bed and with continual strife in his bones or while all his bones are firmly set,
20 So that his desire makes him loathe food, and even dainty dishes [nauseate him].
21 His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out.
22 Yes, his soul draws near to corruption, and his life to the inflicters of death (the destroyers).
23 [God’s voice may be heard] if there is for the hearer a messenger or an angel, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show to man what is right for him [how to be upright and in right standing with God],
24 Then [God] is gracious to him and says, Deliver him from going down into the pit [of destruction]; I have found a ransom (a price of redemption, an atonement)!
25 [Then the man’s] flesh shall be restored; it becomes fresher and more tender than a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth.
26 He prays to God, and He is favorable to him, so that he sees His face with joy; for [God] restores to him his righteousness (his uprightness and right standing with God—with its joys).
27 He looks upon other men or sings out to them, I have sinned and perverted that which was right, and it did not profit me, or He did not requite me [according to my iniquity]!
28 [God] has redeemed my life from going down to the pit [of destruction], and my life shall see the light!
29 [Elihu comments] Behold, God does all these things twice, yes, three times, with a man,
30 To bring back his life from the pit [of destruction], that he may be enlightened with the light of the living.
31 Give heed, O Job, listen to me; hold your peace, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 If [you do] not [have anything to say], listen to me; hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.
Job 33
Expanded Bible
33 “Now, Job, ·listen to [hear] my words.
Pay attention to ·everything I say [L all my words].
2 I open my mouth
and ·am ready to speak [L the tongue in my mouth speaks].
3 My words come from an ·honest [virtuous] heart,
and ·I am sincere in saying what I know [L what my lips know they speak with sincerity].
4 The Spirit of God ·created [has made] me,
and the breath of ·the Almighty [Shaddai] gave me life.
5 Answer me if you can;
get yourself ready and stand before me.
6 I am just like you before God;
I too ·am made [was formed] out of clay.
7 ·Don’t be afraid of me [L Dread of me should not scare you];
·I will not be hard on you [L My pressure will not be too heavy on you].
8 “But ·I heard what you have said [L you have spoken in my ear];
I heard ·every word [L the sound of your words].
9 You said, ‘I am pure and without ·sin [transgression];
I am ·innocent [L clean] and free from guilt.
10 But God has found ·fault [reason to be upset] with me;
he ·considers me [thinks I am] his enemy.
11 He ·locks [places] my feet in ·chains [shackles]
and ·closely watches everywhere I go [L guards all my paths].’
12 “But I tell you, you are not ·right in saying this [L correct],
I will answer you, for God is greater than ·we are [L any human being].
13 Why do you ·accuse [contend with] God
·of not answering anyone [or for no one can answer all his words]?
14 God does speak—sometimes ·one way and sometimes another [or once and sometimes twice]—
even though people may not ·understand [perceive] it.
15 He speaks in a dream or a vision of the night
when people are in a deep sleep,
lying on their beds in slumber.
16 He ·speaks in [L opens] their ears
and frightens them with warnings
17 to turn them away from doing wrong
and to keep them from being proud.
18 God does this to ·save people [L keep them] from ·death [L the Pit; C a reference to the grave and the underworld],
to keep them from ·dying [L the water channel; C another reference to the grave and the underworld].
19 People may be ·corrected [reprimanded; reproved] while in bed in great pain;
they may have continual pain in their very bones.
20 ·They may be in such pain that they even hate [L Their lives loathe] food,
even ·the very best meal [choice food].
21 ·Their body becomes so thin [L Their flesh wastes away so that] ·there is almost nothing left of it [L it cannot be seen],
and their bones that were hidden now stick out.
22 ·They are [L Their souls draw] near ·death [L the Pit; 33:18],
and their life ·is almost over [L comes near those who bring death].
23 “·But there may be [L If there is] an angel to speak for him,
one out of a thousand, ·who will tell him what to do [a mediator who declares a person virtuous].
24 The angel will ·beg for mercy [or be gracious to him] and say:
‘·Save [Redeem] him from ·death [L going down to the Pit; 33:18].
I have found a ·way to pay for his life [ransom].’
25 Then his body is made new like a ·child’s [youth’s].
It will return to the way it was when he was ·young [vigorous].
26 That person will pray to God, and God will ·listen to [L accept] him.
He will see God’s face and will shout with happiness.
And ·God will set things right for him again [or he will repeat to others that he has been vindicated].
27 Then he will ·say [L sing] to others,
‘I sinned and ·twisted what was right [perverted/sullied virtue],
but I did not receive the punishment I should have received.
28 God ·bought [redeemed] my life ·back from death [L from crossing over to the Pit; 33:18],
and ·I will continue to enjoy life [L my life will yet see the light].’
29 “God does all these things to a person
two or even three times
30 ·so he won’t die as punishment for his sins [L to bring back his life from the Pit; 33:18]
and so he may ·still enjoy life [L be illuminated with the light of life].
31 “Job, pay attention and listen to me;
be quiet, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
speak up, because I want to ·prove you right [vindicate you].
33 But if you have nothing to say, then listen to me;
be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”
Job 33
New Living Translation
Elihu Presents His Case against Job
33 “Listen to my words, Job;
pay attention to what I have to say.
2 Now that I have begun to speak,
let me continue.
3 I speak with all sincerity;
I speak the truth.
4 For the Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 Answer me, if you can;
make your case and take your stand.
6 Look, you and I both belong to God.
I, too, was formed from clay.
7 So you don’t need to be afraid of me.
I won’t come down hard on you.
8 “You have spoken in my hearing,
and I have heard your very words.
9 You said, ‘I am pure; I am without sin;
I am innocent; I have no guilt.
10 God is picking a quarrel with me,
and he considers me his enemy.
11 He puts my feet in the stocks
and watches my every move.’
12 “But you are wrong, and I will show you why.
For God is greater than any human being.
13 So why are you bringing a charge against him?
Why say he does not respond to people’s complaints?
14 For God speaks again and again,
though people do not recognize it.
15 He speaks in dreams, in visions of the night,
when deep sleep falls on people
as they lie in their beds.
16 He whispers in their ears
and terrifies them with warnings.
17 He makes them turn from doing wrong;
he keeps them from pride.
18 He protects them from the grave,
from crossing over the river of death.
19 “Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds,
with ceaseless aching in their bones.
20 They lose their appetite
for even the most delicious food.
21 Their flesh wastes away,
and their bones stick out.
22 They are at death’s door;
the angels of death wait for them.
23 “But if an angel from heaven appears—
a special messenger to intercede for a person
and declare that he is upright—
24 he will be gracious and say,
‘Rescue him from the grave,
for I have found a ransom for his life.’
25 Then his body will become as healthy as a child’s,
firm and youthful again.
26 When he prays to God,
he will be accepted.
And God will receive him with joy
and restore him to good standing.
27 He will declare to his friends,
‘I sinned and twisted the truth,
but it was not worth it.[a]
28 God rescued me from the grave,
and now my life is filled with light.’
29 “Yes, God does these things
again and again for people.
30 He rescues them from the grave
so they may enjoy the light of life.
31 Mark this well, Job. Listen to me,
for I have more to say.
32 But if you have anything to say, go ahead.
Speak, for I am anxious to see you justified.
33 But if not, then listen to me.
Keep silent and I will teach you wisdom!”
Footnotes
- 33:27 Greek version reads but he [God] did not punish me as my sin deserved.
Job 33
The Voice
33 Elihu: So now, Job, listen closely to my words;
lend an ear to my speeches.
2 Wait for it! I am about ready to part my lips;
even now, my tongue begins to stir within my mouth.
3 My words emerge from a heart of integrity;
my lips express their knowledge with sincerity.
4 God’s Spirit has fashioned me
and the breath of the Highest One[a] imparts life to me.
5 So refute me if you can;
go ahead and make your preparations and assume your position.
6 But remember I am just like you; we are both God’s vessels,
both pinched from the clay and formed by Him.
7 Look, there is no reason for you to be afraid of me;
my hand will not feel all that heavy on you.
8 Job, now you have said—and I heard it—
I heard the words sounded out:
9 “I am pure, without sin;
innocent indeed, and there is no wrongdoing within me!
10 But oh! God has come up with reasons to accuse me;
now He considers me His enemy.
11 He locks my feet in the shackles;
He watches all my paths, dogs my every step.”
12 But listen! You are wrong in all this
because God is greater than a mere man.
13 Why do you argue with Him,
complaining that He refuses to account for all of His actions?
14 For God does speak in one way and even another way—
yet no one may be able to perceive what He says.
15 One kind of answer God gives
comes in the form of a dream—in a night-vision—
When deep slumber comes to people
who have lain down to sleep in their beds.
16 Yes, this is often when He opens the ears of humanity,
and seals their life-corrections in the terrors of the night
17 So that He can turn one away from his evil deeds
and put down the arrogance of the proud.
18 He does all of this so that He might hold back one soul from the pit
and protect one life from passing over to the land of death.[b]
19 Or another kind of answer God gives comes thus:
one may be corrected through a bed of pain;
his bones may hold him in an unceasing trial,
20 In which his food becomes repulsive,
and he doesn’t hunger for even his favorite meals.
21 His body wastes away almost to nothing,
and bones, once hidden, stick out gruesomely.
22 Thus he is sobered as his soul approaches the rim of the pit,
as his life hears the whispers of the coming messengers of death.
23 If there is a heavenly messenger at one’s side, a mediator,
even just one out of the thousand in his regime of God’s messengers,
to proclaim what is right for that person according to God,
24 And to be gracious to him and to say,
“Spare this one from descending into the pit;
I have found a ransom that will save his life!
25 Then his skin will be renewed, as smooth and fresh as a child’s,
and he will be restored to the vim and vigor of his youth.”
26 He will make his appeal to God, and God will grant acceptance;
he will see God’s face and shout with joy,
knowing God has restored his right standing.
27 Then he comes to his fellow humans and sings out,
“I sinned and perverted what I knew to be right,
but God has not repaid me what I deserved.
28 He has instead paid that ransom
and spared me from descending into the pit
and my life now sees the light.”
29 Look! God does all of these things two,
even three times with a person,
30 In order to guide his soul back from the rim of the pit
so the light of life might shine on him.
31 Lend your ear, Job, and listen well to me;
remain silent, and I will do the talking.
32 If you have anything to say to me, say it. Make your answer to me;
go ahead and speak, because I do desire to see you justified to God.
33 But if not, then listen well to me;
stay quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.
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