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)
Job 33
International Children’s Bible
33 “But now, Job, listen to my words.
Pay attention to everything I say.
2 I open my mouth.
I am ready to speak.
3 My words come from an honest heart.
I am sincere when I speak what I know.
4 The Spirit of God created me.
The breath of God All-Powerful gave me life.
5 Answer me if you can.
Get yourself ready and stand before me.
6 I am just like you before God.
I was also made out of clay.
7 Don’t be afraid of me.
I will not be hard on you.
8 “But I heard what you have said.
I heard every word.
9 You said, ‘I am pure and without sin.
I am innocent and free from guilt.
10 But God has found fault with me.
He considers me his enemy.
11 He locks my feet in chains.
He closely watches everywhere I go.’
12 “But I tell you, you are not right in saying this.
God is greater than we are!
13 Why do you accuse God
of not answering man’s complaints?
14 God does speak—sometimes one way and sometimes another.
He speaks even though men may not understand it.
15 God may speak in a dream or a vision of the night.
This is when men are in a deep sleep
and lying in their beds.
16 He may speak in their ears
and frighten them with warnings.
17 He warns them to turn away from doing wrong.
And he warns them not to be proud.
18 God does this to save a man’s soul from death.
He does it to keep him from dying.
19 A man may be corrected while on his bed in great pain.
He may have continual pain in his very bones.
20 He may be in such pain that he even hates food.
He may hate even the very best meal.
21 His body becomes so thin there is almost nothing left of it.
And his bones that were hidden by flesh now stick out.
22 His soul is near the place of death.
His life is almost over.
23 “But there may be an angel on his side.
The angel may be one out of a thousand who will speak for the man.
He will tell the man what he should do.
24 The angel will beg for mercy and say:
‘Save this man from the place of death.
I have found a way to pay for his life.’
25 Then his body is made new like a child’s body.
It will be returned to the way it was when he was young.
26 That person will pray to God, and God will listen to him.
He will see God’s face and will shout with happiness.
And God will set things right for him again.
27 Then the man will say to other people,
‘I sinned and twisted what was right.
But I did not receive the punishment I should have received.
28 God bought back my life from death.
And I will continue to enjoy life.’
29 “God does all these things to a man.
He does them two times or even three.
30 He does them so a person won’t die as punishment for his sins.
He does it so the man may still enjoy life.
31 “Job, pay attention and listen to me.
Be quiet, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me.
Speak up, because I want you to be shown as right.
33 But if you have nothing to say, then listen to me.
Be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”
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.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
