Job 33
Christian Standard Bible
Elihu Confronts Job
33 But now, Job, pay attention to my speech,
and listen to all my words.
2 I am going to open my mouth;
my tongue will form words on my palate.
3 My words come from my upright(A) heart,
and my lips speak with sincerity what they know.
4 The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty(B) gives me life.(C)
5 Refute me if you can.
Prepare(D) your case against me; take your stand.(E)
6 I am just like you before God;
I was also pinched off from a piece of clay.(F)
7 Fear(G) of me should not terrify you;
no pressure from me should weigh you down.
8 Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
and I have heard these very[a] words:
9 “I am pure, without transgression;
I am clean and have no iniquity.(H)
10 But he finds reasons to oppose me;
he regards me as his enemy.(I)
11 He puts my feet in the stocks;
he stands watch(J) over all my paths.”
12 But I tell you that you are wrong in this matter,
since God is greater than man.(K)
13 Why do you take(L) him to court
for not answering anything a person asks?[b]
14 For God speaks time and again,
but a person may not notice it.
15 In a dream, a vision(M) in the night,
when deep sleep comes over people(N)
as they slumber on their beds,
16 he uncovers their ears(O)
and terrifies them[c] with warnings,
17 in order to turn a person from his actions
and suppress the pride of a person.
18 God spares his soul from the Pit,(P)
his life from crossing the river of death.[d]
19 A person may be disciplined on his bed(Q) with pain
and constant distress in his bones,(R)
20 so that he detests bread,
and his soul despises his favorite food.(S)
21 His flesh wastes away to nothing,[e]
and his unseen bones stick out.
22 He draws near to the Pit,
and his life to the executioners.
23 If there is an angel(T) on his side,
one mediator out of a thousand,
to tell a person what is right for him[f]
24 and to be gracious to him and say,
“Spare him from going down to the Pit;
I have found a ransom,”(U)
25 then his flesh will be healthier[g] than in his youth,
and he will return to the days of his youthful vigor.(V)
26 He will pray to God, and God will delight in him.
That person will see his face(W) with a shout of joy,
and God will restore his righteousness to him.(X)
27 He will look at men and say,
“I have sinned and perverted what was right;
yet I did not get what I deserved.[h]
28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit,
and I will continue to see the light.”
29 God certainly does all these things
two or three times to a person
30 in order to turn him back from the Pit,
so he may shine with the light of life.(Y)
31 Pay attention, Job, and listen to me.
Be quiet, and I will speak.
32 But if you have something to say,[i] answer me;
speak, for I would like to justify you.
33 If not, then listen to me;
be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.
Footnotes
- 33:8 Lit heard a sound of
- 33:13 Lit court, for he does not answer all his words
- 33:16 LXX; MT reads and seals
- 33:18 Or from perishing by the sword
- 33:21 Lit away from sight
- 33:23 Or to vouch for a person’s uprightness
- 33:25 Hb obscure
- 33:27 Lit and the same was not to me
- 33:32 Lit If there are words
Job 33
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Elihu Rebukes Job
33 “But now, hear my speech, O Job,
and listen to all my words.
2 See, I open my mouth;
the tongue in my mouth speaks.
3 My words declare the uprightness of my heart,
and what my lips know they speak sincerely.(A)
4 The spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty[a] gives me life.(B)
5 Answer me, if you can;
set your words in order before me; take your stand.(C)
6 See, before God I am as you are;
I, too, was formed from a piece of clay.
7 No fear of me need terrify you;
my pressure will not be heavy on you.(D)
8 “Surely, you have spoken in my hearing,
and I have heard the sound of your words.
9 You say, ‘I am clean, without transgression;
I am pure, and there is no iniquity in me.(E)
10 Look, he finds occasions against me;
he counts me as his enemy;(F)
11 he puts my feet in the stocks
and watches all my paths.’(G)
12 “But in this you are not right. I will answer you:
God is greater than any mortal.
13 Why do you contend against him,
saying, ‘He will answer none of my[b] words’?(H)
14 For God speaks in one way
and in two, though people do not perceive it.(I)
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
when deep sleep falls on mortals,
while they slumber on their beds,(J)
16 then he opens their ears
and terrifies them with warnings,(K)
17 that he may turn them aside from their deeds
and keep them from pride,
18 to spare their souls from the Pit,
their lives from traversing the River.
19 They are also chastened with pain upon their beds
and with continual strife in their bones,(L)
20 so that their lives loathe bread
and their appetites dainty food.(M)
21 Their flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,
and their bones, once invisible, now stick out.(N)
22 Their souls draw near the Pit
and their lives to those who bring death.(O)
23 Then, if there should be for one of them an angel,
a mediator, one of a thousand,
one who declares a person upright,(P)
24 and he is gracious to that person and says,
‘Deliver him from going down into the Pit;
I have found a ransom;(Q)
25 let his flesh become fresh with youth;
let him return to the days of his youthful vigor,’(R)
26 then he prays to God and is accepted by him;
he comes into his presence with joy,
and God[c] repays him for his righteousness.(S)
27 That person sings to others and says,
‘I sinned and perverted what was right,
and it was not paid back to me.(T)
28 He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit,
and my life shall see the light.’(U)
29 “God indeed does all these things,
twice, three times, with mortals,(V)
30 to bring back their souls from the Pit,
so that they may see the light of life.[d](W)
31 Pay heed, Job, listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 If not, listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”(X)
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.