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Job 33
English Standard Version
Job 33
English Standard Version
Elihu Rebukes Job
33 “But now, hear my speech, O Job,
and listen to all my words.
2 Behold, I (A)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.
4 (B)The Spirit of God has made me,
and (C)the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 (D)Answer me, if you can;
(E)set your words in order before me; take your stand.
6 Behold, I am toward God as you are;
I too was pinched off from a piece of (F)clay.
7 Behold, no (G)fear of me need terrify you;
my (H)pressure will not be heavy upon you.
8 “Surely you have spoken in my ears,
and I have heard the sound of your words.
9 You say, ‘I am (I)pure, without (J)transgression;
I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 Behold, he finds occasions against me,
he (K)counts me as his enemy,
11 he (L)puts my feet in the stocks
and (M)watches all my paths.’
12 “Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you,
for God is greater than man.
13 Why do you (N)contend against him,
saying, ‘He (O)will answer none of man's[a] words’?[b]
14 For God (P)speaks in one way,
(Q)and in two, though man (R)does not perceive it.
15 In (S)a dream, in (T)a vision of (U)the night,
when (V)deep sleep falls on men,
while they slumber on their beds,
16 then he (W)opens the ears of men
and terrifies[c] them with warnings,
17 that he may turn man aside from his (X)deed
and conceal pride from a man;
18 he keeps back his soul from the pit,
his life from (Y)perishing by the sword.
19 “Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed
and with continual strife in his (Z)bones,
20 so that his (AA)life loathes bread,
and his appetite (AB)the choicest food.
21 His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,
and his bones that were not seen (AC)stick out.
22 His soul draws near (AD)the pit,
and his life to (AE)those who bring death.
23 If there be for him (AF)an angel,
(AG)a mediator, (AH)one of the thousand,
to declare to man what is (AI)right for him,
24 and he is merciful to him, and says,
‘Deliver him from going down into the pit;
I have found (AJ)a ransom;
25 let his flesh (AK)become fresh with youth;
let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’;
26 then man[d] (AL)prays to God, and he accepts him;
he (AM)sees his face with a shout of joy,
and he (AN)restores to man his righteousness.
27 He sings before men and says:
‘I (AO)sinned and perverted what was right,
and it was not repaid to me.
28 He has redeemed my (AP)soul from going down (AQ)into the pit,
and my life shall (AR)look upon the light.’
29 “Behold, God does all these things,
twice, (AS)three times, with a man,
30 to bring back his soul from the pit,
that he may be lighted with (AT)the light of life.
31 Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
32 If you have any words, (AU)answer me;
(AV)speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 If not, (AW)listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”
Job 33
Lexham English Bible
Job 33
Lexham English Bible
Elihu Rebukes Job
33 “But now, please hear my speeches,[a] Job,
and hear[b] all my words.
2 Please look, I open my mouth;
my tongue in my mouth speaks.
3 My words declare my heart’s uprightness,
and my lips sincerely speak what my lips know.[c]
4 The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of Shaddai gives life to me.
5 “If you are able, answer me.
Present your argument before me;[d] take your stand.
6 Look, before God I am like you;[e]
I myself was also formed from clay.
7 Look, dread of me should not terrify you,
and my hand will not be heavy upon you.
8 “Surely you have spoken in my ears,
and I have heard the sound of your words:[f]
9 ‘I am clean, without transgression;
I am pure, and there is no guilt in me.
10 Look, he finds fault against me;
he reckons me as his enemy;
11 he puts my feet in the block;
he watches all my paths.’
12 “Look, in this you are not right—I will answer you:
Indeed, God is greater than a human being.
13 Why do you contend against him,
that he will not answer all a person’s words?
14 Indeed, God speaks in one way,
even[g] in two,[h] yet someone does not perceive it.
15 “In a dream, a vision of the night,
when a deep sleep falls on men slumbering on their bed,
16 then he opens the ear of men,
and he frightens them with a warning[i]
17 to turn human beings aside from their deeds,
and he keeps man from pride.
18 He spares his life from the pit
and his life from passing over the river of death.
19 “And he is reproved with pain on his bed,
even[j] with the strife of his bones continually,
20 so that[k] his life loathes bread,
and his inner self[l] loathes appetizing food.[m]
21 His flesh is wasted away from sight,
and his bones, which are invisible, are bared.
22 And he[n] draws near to the pit
and his life to the killers.
23 “If there is a messenger beside him, a mediator, one of a thousand,[o]
to declare to a human being his uprightness
24 so that[p] he is gracious to him, and he says,
‘Deliver him from descending into the pit;
I have found a ransom.’
25 His flesh is renewed with his youth;
he returns to the days of his youthful strength.
26 He prays to God, then he accepts him,
and he sees his face with a shout of joy,
and he repays to the human being his righteousness.
27 “He will sing to men, and he will say,
‘I have sinned and have perverted what is right,
and it was not paid back to me.
28 He redeemed my life from going down into the pit,
so[q] I will enjoy the light.’[r]
29 Look, God does all these things
twice, three times[s] with a person
30 to bring his life back from the pit
so that he may enjoy the light of life.[t]
31 “Listen attentively, Job; listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say,[u] answer me;[v]
speak, for I desire to justify you.[w]
33 If not, you listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”
Footnotes
- Job 33:1 Or “my sentences,” or “what I have to say”
- Job 33:1 Or “give ear to”
- Job 33:3 Literally “the knowledge of my lips”
- Job 33:5 Literally “to the face of me”
- Job 33:6 Literally “I am like your mouth”
- Job 33:8 Or “sentences,” or “what you say”
- Job 33:14 Hebrew “and”
- Job 33:14 Or “time and again” (NJPS, HCSB)
- Job 33:16 Literally “with their warning he frightens”
- Job 33:19 Hebrew “and”
- Job 33:20 Hebrew “and”
- Job 33:20 Or “soul”
- Job 33:20 Literally “food of desire”
- Job 33:22 Literally “his inner self/soul”
- Job 33:23 That is, “unique,” or “one of a kind”
- Job 33:24 Hebrew “and”
- Job 33:28 Hebrew “and”
- Job 33:28 Literally “my life in the light will see”
- Job 33:29 Or “time and again,” or “oftentimes” (NASB, NASU), or “several times”
- Job 33:30 Literally “to be lighted with the light of the life”
- Job 33:32 Literally “If there are words,” or “If there are sentences”
- Job 33:32 Literally “return to me”
- Job 33:32 Literally “your righteousness”
Job 33
New International Version
Job 33
New International Version
33 “But now, Job, listen(A) to my words;
pay attention to everything I say.(B)
2 I am about to open my mouth;
my words are on the tip of my tongue.
3 My words come from an upright heart;(C)
my lips sincerely speak what I know.(D)
4 The Spirit(E) of God has made me;(F)
the breath of the Almighty(G) gives me life.(H)
5 Answer me(I) then, if you can;
stand up(J) and argue your case before me.(K)
6 I am the same as you in God’s sight;(L)
I too am a piece of clay.(M)
7 No fear of me should alarm you,
nor should my hand be heavy on you.(N)
8 “But you have said in my hearing—
I heard the very words—
9 ‘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)
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.