Job 33
English Standard Version
Elihu Rebukes Job
33 “But now, hear my speech, O Job,
and listen to all my words.
2 Behold, I (A)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.
4 (B)The Spirit of God has made me,
and (C)the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 (D)Answer me, if you can;
(E)set your words in order before me; take your stand.
6 Behold, I am toward God as you are;
I too was pinched off from a piece of (F)clay.
7 Behold, no (G)fear of me need terrify you;
my (H)pressure will not be heavy upon you.
8 “Surely you have spoken in my ears,
and I have heard the sound of your words.
9 You say, ‘I am (I)pure, without (J)transgression;
I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 Behold, he finds occasions against me,
he (K)counts me as his enemy,
11 he (L)puts my feet in the stocks
and (M)watches all my paths.’
12 “Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you,
for God is greater than man.
13 Why do you (N)contend against him,
saying, ‘He (O)will answer none of man's[a] words’?[b]
14 For God (P)speaks in one way,
(Q)and in two, though man (R)does not perceive it.
15 In (S)a dream, in (T)a vision of (U)the night,
when (V)deep sleep falls on men,
while they slumber on their beds,
16 then he (W)opens the ears of men
and terrifies[c] them with warnings,
17 that he may turn man aside from his (X)deed
and conceal pride from a man;
18 he keeps back his soul from the pit,
his life from (Y)perishing by the sword.
19 “Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed
and with continual strife in his (Z)bones,
20 so that his (AA)life loathes bread,
and his appetite (AB)the choicest food.
21 His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,
and his bones that were not seen (AC)stick out.
22 His soul draws near (AD)the pit,
and his life to (AE)those who bring death.
23 If there be for him (AF)an angel,
(AG)a mediator, (AH)one of the thousand,
to declare to man what is (AI)right for him,
24 and he is merciful to him, and says,
‘Deliver him from going down into the pit;
I have found (AJ)a ransom;
25 let his flesh (AK)become fresh with youth;
let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’;
26 then man[d] (AL)prays to God, and he accepts him;
he (AM)sees his face with a shout of joy,
and he (AN)restores to man his righteousness.
27 He sings before men and says:
‘I (AO)sinned and perverted what was right,
and it was not repaid to me.
28 He has redeemed my (AP)soul from going down (AQ)into the pit,
and my life shall (AR)look upon the light.’
29 “Behold, God does all these things,
twice, (AS)three times, with a man,
30 to bring back his soul from the pit,
that he may be lighted with (AT)the light of life.
31 Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
32 If you have any words, (AU)answer me;
(AV)speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 If not, (AW)listen to me;
be silent, 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.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
