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Job 33-34
Common English Bible
Job 33-34
Common English Bible
Elihu’s appeal to be heard
33 But now, listen to me, Job;
pay attention to all my words.
2 Notice that I am opening my mouth;
my tongue is speaking in my mouth.[a]
3 My words come from a virtuous heart;
my lips speak knowledge clearly.
4 God’s spirit made me;
the Almighty’s breath enlivens me.
5 If you are able, answer me;
lay out your case[b] before me and take a stand.
6 Notice that I’m just like you to God;
I also was pinched from clay.
7 Surely fear of me shouldn’t scare you;
my pressure on you shouldn’t be heavy.
The argument
8 You certainly said in my hearing;
I heard the sound of your words:
9 “I’m pure, without sin;
I’m innocent, without offense.
10 Notice that he invents arguments against me;
he considers me his enemy,
11 ties up my feet,
watches all my paths.”
12 Now you’re wrong about this; I’ll answer you,
for God is greater than anybody.
13 Why do you contend with him,
saying that he doesn’t answer all your words?[c]
14 God speaks in one way,
in two ways, but no one perceives it.
15 In the dream, a vision of the night,
when deep sleep falls upon humans,
during their slumber on a bed,
16 then he opens people’s ears,
scares them with warnings,
17 to turn them from a deed
and to smother human pride.
18 He keeps one from the pit,
a life from perishing by the sword.
19 Or a person may be disciplined by pain
while in bed, bones ever aching
20 until a person loathes food,
an appetite rejects a delicacy;
21 the flesh wastes away, no longer visible;
the bones, once hidden, protrude.
22 A life approaches the pit;
its very being draws near the death dealers.
23 Surely there’s a messenger for this person,
a mediator, one out of a thousand
to declare one’s integrity to another
24 so that God has compassion on that person and says,
“Rescue this one from going down to the pit;
I have found a ransom.”
25 That person’s flesh is renewed like a child’s;
they regain their youth.
26 They pray to God, and God is pleased with them;
they behold God’s presence
with a joyful shout.
God rewards a person’s righteousness.
27 They sing before people and say:
“I have sinned, perverted justice,
but didn’t experience the consequences.
28 He ransomed me from crossing into the pit;
my life beholds light.”
29 Look, God does all this,
twice, three times with persons
30 to bring them back from the pit,
to shine with life’s light.
31 Listen, Job; hear me;
be quiet, and I will speak.
32 If you have words, answer me;
speak, for I want to be innocent.
33 If not, you must hear me;
be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.
34 Elihu continued:
2 Hear my words, wise ones;
knowledgeable ones, listen to me,
3 for the ear tests words
like the palate tastes food.
4 Let’s choose for us what’s right;
let’s determine among ourselves what’s good;
5 for Job has said, “I’m innocent;
God has denied my just cause;
6 because of my cause I’m thought a liar;
my wound from an arrow is incurable, even though I didn’t rebel.”
7 Who is a man like Job?
He drinks mockery like water
8 and travels a path with wrongdoers,
walking with evil persons.
9 Indeed he said, “No one is rewarded
for delighting in God.”
10 Therefore, intelligent ones, hear me;
far be it from God to do evil
and the Almighty to sin,
11 for he repays people based on what they do,
paying back everyone according to their ways.
12 Surely God doesn’t act wickedly;
the Almighty doesn’t distort justice.
13 Who placed earth in his care,
and who gave him dominion over the entire world?
14 If he were to decide to do it—
to gather his spirit and breath back to himself—
15 all flesh would die together,
and humans would return to dust.
16 But if you have understanding, hear this;
pay attention to the sound of my words.
17 Will one who hates justice rule;
will you condemn the most righteous one?
18 Will you say to a king, “Worthless!”
to royalty, “Evil!”
19 Who shows no favor to princes
nor regards the rich over the poor,
for they are all the work of God’s hands?
20 In the middle of the night they suddenly die;
people are shaken and pass away.
The mighty are removed, not by a human hand.
21 God’s eyes are on human ways,
and he sees all their steps.
22 There’s no darkness, no deep darkness,
where evildoers can hide themselves;
23 surely no time is set for a person
to appear before God in judgment.
24 He shatters the mighty without examining them;
makes others take their place.
25 Thus he regards their deeds,
overturns them at night, and they are crushed.
26 He strikes them because of their wickedness
at a place where people can see it.
27 Because they turned from following him
and didn’t value all his ways,
28 causing the cry of the poor to reach him,
he hears the cry of the afflicted.
29 Still, if he remains quiet, who can condemn;
if he hides his face, who can see him?
30 He prevents a lawless person from ruling,
from capturing people.
31 Has Job said to God,
“I have borne punishment; I won’t sin again?
32 You teach me what I can’t see;
if I’ve sinned, I won’t do it again.”
33 Will he repay you because you reject sin,
for you must choose, not I;
declare what you know.
34 Smart people say to me,
the wise who hear me,
35 “Job speaks without knowledge;
his words aren’t astute.”
36 I wish Job would be tested to the limit
because he responds like evil people.
37 He adds rebellion to his sin;
mocks us openly
and adds to his words against God.
Job 33-34
New International Version
Job 33-34
New International Version
33 “But now, Job, listen(A) to my words;
pay attention to everything I say.(B)
2 I am about to open my mouth;
my words are on the tip of my tongue.
3 My words come from an upright heart;(C)
my lips sincerely speak what I know.(D)
4 The Spirit(E) of God has made me;(F)
the breath of the Almighty(G) gives me life.(H)
5 Answer me(I) then, if you can;
stand up(J) and argue your case before me.(K)
6 I am the same as you in God’s sight;(L)
I too am a piece of clay.(M)
7 No fear of me should alarm you,
nor should my hand be heavy on you.(N)
8 “But you have said in my hearing—
I heard the very words—
9 ‘I am pure,(O) I have done no wrong;(P)
I am clean and free from sin.(Q)
10 Yet God has found fault with me;
he considers me his enemy.(R)
11 He fastens my feet in shackles;(S)
he keeps close watch on all my paths.’(T)
12 “But I tell you, in this you are not right,
for God is greater than any mortal.(U)
13 Why do you complain to him(V)
that he responds to no one’s words[a]?(W)
14 For God does speak(X)—now one way, now another(Y)—
though no one perceives it.(Z)
15 In a dream,(AA) in a vision(AB) of the night,(AC)
when deep sleep(AD) falls on people
as they slumber in their beds,
16 he may speak(AE) in their ears
and terrify them(AF) with warnings,(AG)
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
and keep them from pride,(AH)
18 to preserve them from the pit,(AI)
their lives from perishing by the sword.[b](AJ)
19 “Or someone may be chastened(AK) on a bed of pain(AL)
with constant distress in their bones,(AM)
20 so that their body finds food(AN) repulsive
and their soul loathes the choicest meal.(AO)
21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing,
and their bones,(AP) once hidden, now stick out.(AQ)
22 They draw near to the pit,(AR)
and their life to the messengers of death.[c](AS)
23 Yet if there is an angel at their side,
a messenger,(AT) one out of a thousand,
sent to tell them how to be upright,(AU)
24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God,
‘Spare them from going down to the pit;(AV)
I have found a ransom for them(AW)—
25 let their flesh be renewed(AX) like a child’s;
let them be restored as in the days of their youth’(AY)—
26 then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,(AZ)
they will see God’s face and shout for joy;(BA)
he will restore them to full well-being.(BB)
27 And they will go to others and say,
‘I have sinned,(BC) I have perverted what is right,(BD)
but I did not get what I deserved.(BE)
28 God has delivered(BF) me from going down to the pit,(BG)
and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’(BH)
29 “God does all these things to a person(BI)—
twice, even three times(BJ)—
30 to turn them back(BK) from the pit,(BL)
that the light of life(BM) may shine on them.(BN)
31 “Pay attention, Job, and listen(BO) to me;(BP)
be silent,(BQ) and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;(BR)
speak up, for I want to vindicate you.(BS)
33 But if not, then listen to me;(BT)
be silent,(BU) and I will teach you wisdom.(BV)”
34 Then Elihu said:
2 “Hear my words, you wise men;
listen to me,(BW) you men of learning.
3 For the ear tests words
as the tongue tastes food.(BX)
4 Let us discern for ourselves what is right;(BY)
let us learn together what is good.(BZ)
5 “Job says, ‘I am innocent,(CA)
but God denies me justice.(CB)
6 Although I am right,
I am considered a liar;(CC)
although I am guiltless,(CD)
his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.’(CE)
7 Is there anyone like Job,
who drinks scorn like water?(CF)
8 He keeps company with evildoers;
he associates with the wicked.(CG)
9 For he says, ‘There is no profit
in trying to please God.’(CH)
10 “So listen to me,(CI) you men of understanding.(CJ)
Far be it from God to do evil,(CK)
from the Almighty to do wrong.(CL)
11 He repays everyone for what they have done;(CM)
he brings on them what their conduct deserves.(CN)
12 It is unthinkable that God would do wrong,(CO)
that the Almighty would pervert justice.(CP)
13 Who appointed(CQ) him over the earth?
Who put him in charge of the whole world?(CR)
14 If it were his intention
and he withdrew his spirit[d](CS) and breath,(CT)
15 all humanity would perish(CU) together
and mankind would return to the dust.(CV)
16 “If you have understanding,(CW) hear this;
listen to what I say.(CX)
17 Can someone who hates justice govern?(CY)
Will you condemn the just and mighty One?(CZ)
18 Is he not the One who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’
and to nobles,(DA) ‘You are wicked,’(DB)
19 who shows no partiality(DC) to princes
and does not favor the rich over the poor,(DD)
for they are all the work of his hands?(DE)
20 They die in an instant, in the middle of the night;(DF)
the people are shaken and they pass away;
the mighty are removed without human hand.(DG)
21 “His eyes are on the ways of mortals;(DH)
he sees their every step.(DI)
22 There is no deep shadow,(DJ) no utter darkness,(DK)
where evildoers can hide.(DL)
23 God has no need to examine people further,(DM)
that they should come before him for judgment.(DN)
24 Without inquiry he shatters(DO) the mighty(DP)
and sets up others in their place.(DQ)
25 Because he takes note of their deeds,(DR)
he overthrows them in the night(DS) and they are crushed.(DT)
26 He punishes them for their wickedness(DU)
where everyone can see them,
27 because they turned from following him(DV)
and had no regard for any of his ways.(DW)
28 They caused the cry of the poor to come before him,
so that he heard the cry of the needy.(DX)
29 But if he remains silent,(DY) who can condemn him?(DZ)
If he hides his face,(EA) who can see him?
Yet he is over individual and nation alike,(EB)
30 to keep the godless(EC) from ruling,(ED)
from laying snares for the people.(EE)
31 “Suppose someone says to God,
‘I am guilty(EF) but will offend no more.
32 Teach me what I cannot see;(EG)
if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.’(EH)
33 Should God then reward you on your terms,
when you refuse to repent?(EI)
You must decide, not I;
so tell me what you know.
34 “Men of understanding declare,
wise men who hear me say to me,
35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge;(EJ)
his words lack insight.’(EK)
36 Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost
for answering like a wicked man!(EL)
37 To his sin he adds rebellion;
scornfully he claps his hands(EM) among us
and multiplies his words(EN) against God.”(EO)
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.