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Job 33-34
Easy-to-Read Version
Job 33-34
Easy-to-Read Version
33 “Now, Job, listen to me.
Listen carefully to what I say.
2 I am ready to speak.
3 My heart is honest, so my words are sincere.
I will speak the truth about what I know.
4 God’s Spirit made me.
My life comes from God All-Powerful.
5 Listen to me and answer if you can.
Get your arguments ready to face me.
6 You and I are the same before God.
He used clay to make us both.
7 Don’t be afraid of me.
I will not be hard on you.
8 “But, Job, I heard what you said.
These were your very words:
9 ‘I am pure and innocent;
I did nothing wrong; I am not guilty!
10 But God found an excuse to attack me.
He treats me like an enemy.
11 He put chains on my feet
and watches everything I do.’
12 “But you are wrong about this, and I will prove it to you.
God knows more than any of us.[a]
13 You are arguing with God!
Why do you think he should explain everything to you?
14 But maybe God does explain what he does
but speaks in ways that people don’t understand.
15 He may speak in a dream, or in a vision at night,
when people are in a deep sleep lying in their beds.
16 He may whisper something in their ear,
and they are frightened when they hear his warnings.
17 God warns people to stop them from doing wrong
and to keep them from becoming proud.
18 He does this to save them from death.[b]
He wants to keep them from being destroyed.
19 “Or those who are sick in bed might be suffering punishment from God.
The pain that makes their bones ache might be a warning from him.
20 They feel so bad they cannot eat.
Even the best food makes them sick.
21 Their bodies might waste away until they become thin
and all their bones stick out.
22 They might be close to death,
their lives about to end.
23 But maybe one of God’s thousands of angels is watching over them,
to speak for them and tell about the good things they have done.
24 Maybe the angel will be kind and say to God,
‘Save this one from the place of death!
I have found a way to pay for his life.’
25 Then that person’s body will become young and strong again.
He will be as he was when he was young.
26 He will pray and God will answer.
He will worship God and shout with joy.
He will again stand as right before God.
27 He will tell everyone, ‘I sinned.
I changed good into bad,
but God didn’t give me the punishment I deserved!
28 God saved me from going down to the place of death.
Now I can enjoy life again.’
29 “God does all these things for people again and again.
30 He wants them to be saved from death
so that they can enjoy life.
31 “Job, pay attention and listen to me.
Be quiet and let me talk.
32 But if you have an answer, go ahead and speak.
Tell me your argument.
I would be happy to know that you are innocent!
33 But if you have nothing to say, then listen to me.
Be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”
34 Then Elihu continued his speech:
2 “Listen to what I say, you wise men.
Pay attention, you who know so much.
3 Your tongue tastes the food it touches,
and your ear tests the words it hears.
4 So let us test these arguments and decide for ourselves what is right.
Together we will learn what is good.
5 Job says, ‘I am innocent,
and God is not being fair to me.
6 I am right, but I am judged to be a liar.
I have done no wrong, but I am badly hurt.’
7 “Would anyone but Job say such things?
He has more thirst for insulting God than for water.
8 He is a friend of evil people.
He likes to spend time with the wicked.
9 I know this because he says,
‘You will gain nothing if you try to please God.’
10 “You men can understand, so listen to me.
God would never do what is evil!
God All-Powerful would never do wrong.
11 He pays us back for what we have done.
He gives us what we deserve.
12 The truth is that God does no wrong.
God All-Powerful is always fair.
13 No one chose God to be in charge of the earth.
No one gave him responsibility for the whole world.
14 If God decided to take away his spirit
and the breath of life he gave us,
15 then everything on earth would die.
We would all become dust again.
16 “If you men are wise,
you will listen to what I say.
17 Can someone be a ruler if he hates justice?
Job, God is not only powerful, but he is fair.
Do you think you can judge him guilty?
18 God is the one who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’
He says to leaders, ‘You are evil!’
19 He does not respect leaders more than other people.
And he does not respect the rich more than the poor.
God made everyone.
20 Any of us can die suddenly, in the middle of the night.
Anyone can get sick and pass away.
Even powerful people die for no reason we can see.
21 “God watches what people do.
He sees every step they take.
22 There is no place dark enough
for evil people to hide from God.
23 God does not need to set a time
for people to come before him and be judged.
24 He does not have to ask questions when people do wrong,
even if they are powerful leaders.
He simply destroys them
and chooses others to take their place.
25 When he learns what people have done,
he defeats them, and overnight they are gone.
26 He will punish them for the evil they have done,
and he will do it where everyone can see.
27 He will do this because they rebelled against him
and ignored what he wanted.
28 They hurt the poor and made them cry to God for help.
And he hears their cry!
29 But if God decides not to help them,
no one can judge him guilty.
If he hides himself, no one can find him.
He is the ruler over every person and nation.
30 He keeps the wicked from ruling
so that they will not bring harm to the people.
31 “A person should say to God,
‘I am guilty; I will not sin anymore.
32 Show me the sins I am not able to see.
If I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’
33 Job, you want God to reward you,
but you refuse to change.
It is your decision, not mine.
Tell me what you think.
34 A wise person would listen to me.
A wise person would say,
35 ‘Job talks like an ignorant person.
What he says doesn’t make sense!’
36 I think Job should be punished even more,
because he answers us like someone who is evil!
37 He adds rebellion to his other sins.
He sits there insulting us and arguing with 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)
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
New International Version (NIV) 
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