⁸ “Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
    and I have heard the sound of your words, saying,
⁹ ‘I am clean, without transgression;
    I am innocent, nor is there iniquity in me.
¹⁰ Behold, He finds occasions against me,
    He counts me for His enemy;
¹¹ He puts my feet in the stocks,
    He watches all my paths.’

¹² “Look, in this you are not just.
    I will answer you, that God is greater than man.
¹³ Why do you strive against Him?
    For He does not give an accounting for any of His words.
¹⁴ For God speaks once, yes twice,
    yet man does not perceive it.
¹⁵ In a dream, in a vision of the night,
    when deep sleep falls upon men,
    in slumber on their beds,
¹⁶ then He opens the ears of men,
    and seals their instruction,
¹⁷ that He might turn aside man from his purpose,
    and conceal pride from man.
¹⁸ He keeps back his soul from the pit,
    and his life from perishing by the sword.

¹⁹ “He is also chastened with pain on his bed,
    and with strong pain in many of his bones,
²⁰ so that his life abhors bread,
    and his soul dainty food.
²¹ His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen,
    and his bones that were not seen stick out.
²² Yes, his soul draws near to the grave,
    and his life to the executioners.
²³ If there is a messenger for him,
    an interpreter, one among a thousand,
    to show to man what is right for him,
²⁴ then He is gracious to him, and says,
    ‘Deliver him from going down to the pit;
    I have found a ransom.’
²⁵ His flesh will be fresher than a child’s;
    he will return to the days of his youth;
²⁶ he will pray to God, and He will be favorable unto him,
    and he will see His face with joy,
    for He will render unto man His righteousness.
²⁷ Then he looks at men and says,
    ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right,
    and it did not profit me.’
²⁸ He will deliver his soul from going down to the pit,
    and his life will see the light.

²⁹ “Behold, God works all these things,
    twice, three times with man,
³⁰ to bring back his soul from the pit,
    to be enlightened with the light of the living.

³¹ “Pay attention, Job, listen to me;
    hold your peace, 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; hold your peace,
    and I will teach you wisdom.”