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Elihu Asks Job to Hear and Respond

33 “However now, Job, please (A)hear my speech,
And give ear to all my words.
Behold now, I open my mouth;
My tongue in my [a]mouth speaks.
My words are from the uprightness of my heart,
And my lips speak (B)knowledge sincerely.
The (C)Spirit of God has made me,
And the (D)breath of [b]the Almighty gives me life.
(E)Respond to me if you can;
Arrange yourselves before me, take your stand.
Behold, I belong to God like you;
I too have been [c]formed out of the (F)clay.
Behold, (G)no dread of me should terrify you,
Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you.

“Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your speech:
‘I am (H)pure, (I)without transgression;
I am innocent, and there (J)is no guilt in me.
10 Behold, He finds reasons for opposition against me;
He (K)counts me as His enemy.
11 He (L)puts my feet in the stocks;
He keeps watch over all my paths.’
12 Behold, let me answer you; (M)you are not right in this,
For God is greater than mortal man.

13 “Why do you (N)contend against Him?
For He does not give an answer for all His doings.
14 Indeed (O)God speaks once,
Or twice, yet no one perceives it.
15 In a (P)dream, a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
While they slumber in their beds,
16 Then (Q)He opens the ears of men,
And seals in their discipline,
17 That He may turn man aside from his conduct,
And [d]keep man from pride;
18 He (R)holds back his soul from the pit,
And his life from passing over [e]to death (S)by a weapon.

19 [f]Man is also reproved with (T)pain on his bed,
And with unceasing contention in his bones,
20 So that his life (U)loathes bread,
And his soul favorite food.
21 His (V)flesh wastes away from sight,
And his (W)bones which were not seen stick out.
22 Then (X)his soul draws near to the pit,
And his life to those who bring death.

23 “If there is an angel as (Y)mediator for him,
One out of a thousand,
To declare to a man what is [g]right for him,
24 Then let him be gracious to him, and say,
‘Deliver him from (Z)going down to the pit;
I have found (AA)atonement’;
25 Let his flesh become fresher than in youth,
Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor;
26 Then he will (AB)entreat God, and He will accept him,
And (AC)he will see His face with joyful shouts,
And He may restore His righteousness to man.
27 He will sing to men and say,
‘I (AD)have sinned and perverted what is right,
But He has not done (AE)what is due to me.
28 He has redeemed my soul from passing into the pit,
And my life shall (AF)see the light.’

29 “Behold, God does (AG)all these things twice, three times with men,
30 To (AH)bring back his soul from the pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.
31 Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;
Keep silent, and I will speak.
32 Then if [h]you have any speech, respond to me;
Speak, for I desire to prove you righteous.
33 If not, (AI)listen to me;
Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 33:2 Lit palate
  2. Job 33:4 Heb Shaddai
  3. Job 33:6 Lit cut out of
  4. Job 33:17 Lit hide
  5. Job 33:18 Or Sheol
  6. Job 33:19 Lit He
  7. Job 33:23 Lit his uprightness
  8. Job 33:32 Lit there are words

33 “But now, Job, listen(A) to my words;
    pay attention to everything I say.(B)
I am about to open my mouth;
    my words are on the tip of my tongue.
My words come from an upright heart;(C)
    my lips sincerely speak what I know.(D)
The Spirit(E) of God has made me;(F)
    the breath of the Almighty(G) gives me life.(H)
Answer me(I) then, if you can;
    stand up(J) and argue your case before me.(K)
I am the same as you in God’s sight;(L)
    I too am a piece of clay.(M)
No fear of me should alarm you,
    nor should my hand be heavy on you.(N)

“But you have said in my hearing—
    I heard the very words—
‘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)

Footnotes

  1. Job 33:13 Or that he does not answer for any of his actions
  2. Job 33:18 Or from crossing the river
  3. Job 33:22 Or to the place of the dead

33 Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words.

Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth.

My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.

The spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me, stand up.

Behold, I am according to thy wish in God's stead: I also am formed out of the clay.

Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.

Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,

I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.

10 Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy,

11 He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.

12 Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.

13 Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.

14 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.

15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;

16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,

17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.

19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain:

20 So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.

21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.

22 Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.

23 If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:

24 Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.

25 His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth:

26 He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.

27 He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;

28 He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.

29 Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man,

30 To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.

31 Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I will speak.

32 If thou hast anything to say, answer me: speak, for I desire to justify thee.

33 If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.

欲以誠實折服約伯

33 “可是,約伯啊,請聽我的言語,

留心聽我的一切話。

我現在開口,

用舌頭發言;

我的話表明我心中的正直,

我所知道的,我的嘴唇就誠誠實實地說出來。

 神的靈創造了我,

全能者的氣使我存活。

你若能夠辦得到,就回答我,

用話語攻擊我,

表明立場,當面攻擊我。

在 神面前我與你一樣,

也是用土捏造的。

我的威嚴必不驚嚇你,

我的壓力也不加重在你身上。

你所說的,我已經聽見了,也聽到你言語的聲音,說:

‘我是潔淨的,毫無過犯;

我是清白的,沒有罪孽。

10  神找機會攻擊我,

把我當作仇敵;

11 他把我的兩腳上了木狗,

又鑒察我一切所行的。’

12 我要告訴你,你這話錯了,

因為 神比世人大。

13 你為甚麼對 神爭辯,

說:‘無論世人的甚麼話,他都不回答’呢?

14 原來 神用這個方法或那個方法說了,

只是,世人沒有留意。

15 世人都在床上打盹,

沉睡臨到他們的時候,

 神用異夢與夜間的異象,

16 告訴他們,

他堅定他們所得的訓誨,

17 好叫人離開自己的惡行,

又叫人與驕傲隔絕,

18 攔阻人的性命不下在坑裡,

又阻止他的生命不死在刀下。

 神教訓人的方法

19 人在床上被痛苦懲治,

他的骨頭不住地痛苦掙扎,

20 以致他的生命厭惡食物,

他的胃口也厭惡美食,

21 他的肌肉消瘦以致看不見,

以前看不見的骨頭,現在都凸出來。

22 他的性命接近深坑,

他的生命靠近滅命的天使。

23 在一千位天使之中,

若有一位作人的中保,指示人當行的事,

24 恩待他,說:

‘救贖他免下深坑;

我已經得到了贖價。’

25 他的肌肉就比孩童的更嫩,

他更恢復滿有青春活力的日子。

26 他向 神祈求, 神就喜悅他,

他也歡呼著朝見 神的面,

人又恢復自己的義。

27 他在人面前歌唱,說:

‘我犯了罪,顛倒是非,

但我沒有受到應得的報應。

28 他救贖我的性命免入深坑,

我的生命必得見光明。’

29  神總是三番四次,

向人行這一切事,

30 要把人的性命從深坑裡救回來,

好使活人之光光照他。

31 約伯啊,你當留心聽我,

當默不作聲,我要說話。

32 你若有話說,就請回答我;

你只管說吧,因為我願意以你為義。

33 你若沒有話說,就要聽我說,

你當默不作聲,我就把智慧教導你。”