Job 33
Evangelical Heritage Version
33 But now, Job, listen to my speech.
Pay close attention to all my words.
2 Listen, because I have opened my mouth.
See how my tongue shapes words in my mouth.
3 My speech will reveal my upright heart.
My lips express my knowledge plainly.[a]
4 The spirit[b] of God made me.
The breath of the Almighty gave me life.
5 Refute me if you are able.
Lay out your case before me! Take your stand!
6 Look, my mouth belongs to God, just as your mouth does.
Like you I was snipped off from a lump of clay.
7 Look, you should not be terrified by how awesome I am.
Pressure from me should not intimidate you.
8 However, you said this in my hearing,
and I did hear the sound of these words:
9 “I am pure, without any sinful rebellion.
I am clean. I have no guilt.
10 But look how God finds pretexts to oppose me.
He treats me like his enemy.
11 He has put my feet in stocks.
He patrols all my paths.”
12 Job, listen to this!
You are not right.
I must refute you!
Certainly, God is greater than a man.
13 Why do you bring charges against him,
just because he does not answer all of a man’s questions?
14 God does speak, sometimes one way, sometimes another,
but people do not pay attention to it.
15 In a dream, in a vision in the night,
when people are falling into a deep sleep,
while they slumber on their beds,
16 he whispers a revelation into people’s ears,
and he confirms his warnings to them,
17 in order to turn a man from his course of action
and to suppress a person’s pride.
18 He spares his life from the pit.
He spares his life from crossing the stream of death.[c]
19 Or a person may be disciplined on his bed by pain
and by continual agony in his bones,
20 so that his life makes food disgusting to him,
and he has no appetite for delicious food.
21 His flesh wastes away and disappears,
and his bones, which were hidden, now stick out.
22 Then his soul draws near to destruction,
and his life to those who bring death.
23 If there is a messenger at his side to mediate,
one out of a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him,
24 if he is gracious to him,
if he says, “Spare him from going down to the pit.
I have found a ransom for him,”
25 then his flesh would become more vigorous than it was in his youth.
He would return to days of youthful vitality.
26 Then he would pray to God,
and God would be pleased with him.
With a joyful cry he would see God’s face,
and God would restore his righteousness to the man.
27 Then the man would turn to people and say,[d]
“I have sinned, and I have perverted what is right,
yet I was not punished as much as I deserved.
28 God has redeemed my soul from passing into the pit,
and my life will see the light.”
29 Look, God does all these things with a man—
two times, or even three times—
30 to bring back his soul from the pit,
so that light shines on him among the living.
31 Pay attention, Job. Listen to me.
Be silent, so that I may speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me.
Speak up, for I would be delighted to declare you innocent.
33 If you have nothing to say, listen to me
Be silent, so I may teach you wisdom.
Job 33
New Life Version
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.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.