Elihu Keeps On Speaking

33 “But now, Job, hear what I say. Listen to all my words. ² See, I open my mouth. My tongue in my mouth wants to speak. ³ My words come from my heart that is right. My lips speak in truth what I know. ⁴ The Spirit of God has made me. And the breath of the All-powerful gives me life. ⁵ Prove me wrong if you can. Get ready to answer me, and take your stand. ⁶ See, I belong to God like you. I also have been made from the clay. ⁷ See, you have no reason to be afraid of me. I should not make it hard for you.

⁸ “For sure you have spoken in my hearing. I have heard all you have said. ⁹ You said, ‘I am pure and without sin. I am not guilty, and there is no sin in me. ¹⁰ But see, God finds things against me. He thinks of me as someone who hates Him. ¹¹ He puts my feet in chains, and watches all my paths.’ ¹² See, I tell you, in this you are not right. For God is greater than man.

¹³ “Why do you complain against Him? He does not give a reason for all He does. ¹⁴ For God speaks once, or twice, and yet no one listens. ¹⁵ In a dream, a special dream of the night, when deep sleep comes upon men, while they sleep in their beds, ¹⁶ then He opens the ears of men. He teaches them and makes them afraid telling them of danger, ¹⁷ that He may turn man away from wrong-doing and keep him from pride. ¹⁸ He keeps his soul from going to the place of the dead. And He keeps his life from being destroyed by the sword.

¹⁹ “Man is also punished with pain on his bed and has pain all the time in his bones. ²⁰ So he hates bread, and has no desire for fine foods. ²¹ His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen. His bones which were not seen stick out. ²² His soul comes close to the grave, and his life to those who bring death.

²³ “If there is an angel, one out of a thousand, to speak with God for him, and to show a man what is right for him, ²⁴ then let him be kind to him, and say, ‘Save him from going down to the grave. I have found someone to pay the price to make him free. ²⁵ Let his flesh become young again. Let him return to the days when he was young and strong.’ ²⁶ Then he will pray to God, and God will be pleased with him. He will see His face with joy. And God will make man right with Him again. ²⁷ He will sing to men and say, ‘I have sinned and have not done what is right, but He did not punish me. ²⁸ He has kept my soul from going to the grave. And my life will see the light.’

²⁹ “See, God does all these things twice, even three times, to a man, ³⁰ to turn back his soul from the grave, that he may see the light of life. ³¹ Hear what I say, O Job, listen to me. Be quiet and let me speak. ³² If you have anything to say, answer me. Speak, for I want to make you right with God. ³³ If not, listen to me. Be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”