Job 33
Christian Standard Bible
Elihu Confronts Job
33 But now, Job, pay attention to my speech,
and listen to all my words.
2 I am going to open my mouth;
my tongue will form words on my palate.
3 My words come from my upright(A) heart,
and my lips speak with sincerity what they know.
4 The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty(B) gives me life.(C)
5 Refute me if you can.
Prepare(D) your case against me; take your stand.(E)
6 I am just like you before God;
I was also pinched off from a piece of clay.(F)
7 Fear(G) of me should not terrify you;
no pressure from me should weigh you down.
8 Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
and I have heard these very[a] words:
9 “I am pure, without transgression;
I am clean and have no iniquity.(H)
10 But he finds reasons to oppose me;
he regards me as his enemy.(I)
11 He puts my feet in the stocks;
he stands watch(J) over all my paths.”
12 But I tell you that you are wrong in this matter,
since God is greater than man.(K)
13 Why do you take(L) him to court
for not answering anything a person asks?[b]
14 For God speaks time and again,
but a person may not notice it.
15 In a dream, a vision(M) in the night,
when deep sleep comes over people(N)
as they slumber on their beds,
16 he uncovers their ears(O)
and terrifies them[c] with warnings,
17 in order to turn a person from his actions
and suppress the pride of a person.
18 God spares his soul from the Pit,(P)
his life from crossing the river of death.[d]
19 A person may be disciplined on his bed(Q) with pain
and constant distress in his bones,(R)
20 so that he detests bread,
and his soul despises his favorite food.(S)
21 His flesh wastes away to nothing,[e]
and his unseen bones stick out.
22 He draws near to the Pit,
and his life to the executioners.
23 If there is an angel(T) on his side,
one mediator out of a thousand,
to tell a person what is right for him[f]
24 and to be gracious to him and say,
“Spare him from going down to the Pit;
I have found a ransom,”(U)
25 then his flesh will be healthier[g] than in his youth,
and he will return to the days of his youthful vigor.(V)
26 He will pray to God, and God will delight in him.
That person will see his face(W) with a shout of joy,
and God will restore his righteousness to him.(X)
27 He will look at men and say,
“I have sinned and perverted what was right;
yet I did not get what I deserved.[h]
28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit,
and I will continue to see the light.”
29 God certainly does all these things
two or three times to a person
30 in order to turn him back from the Pit,
so he may shine with the light of life.(Y)
31 Pay attention, Job, and listen to me.
Be quiet, and I will speak.
32 But if you have something to say,[i] answer me;
speak, for I would like to justify you.
33 If not, then listen to me;
be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.
Footnotes
- 33:8 Lit heard a sound of
- 33:13 Lit court, for he does not answer all his words
- 33:16 LXX; MT reads and seals
- 33:18 Or from perishing by the sword
- 33:21 Lit away from sight
- 33:23 Or to vouch for a person’s uprightness
- 33:25 Hb obscure
- 33:27 Lit and the same was not to me
- 33:32 Lit If there are words
Job 33
Easy-to-Read Version
33 “Now, Job, listen to me.
Listen carefully to what I say.
2 I am ready to speak.
3 My heart is honest, so my words are sincere.
I will speak the truth about what I know.
4 God’s Spirit made me.
My life comes from God All-Powerful.
5 Listen to me and answer if you can.
Get your arguments ready to face me.
6 You and I are the same before God.
He used clay to make us both.
7 Don’t be afraid of me.
I will not be hard on you.
8 “But, Job, I heard what you said.
These were your very words:
9 ‘I am pure and innocent;
I did nothing wrong; I am not guilty!
10 But God found an excuse to attack me.
He treats me like an enemy.
11 He put chains on my feet
and watches everything I do.’
12 “But you are wrong about this, and I will prove it to you.
God knows more than any of us.[a]
13 You are arguing with God!
Why do you think he should explain everything to you?
14 But maybe God does explain what he does
but speaks in ways that people don’t understand.
15 He may speak in a dream, or in a vision at night,
when people are in a deep sleep lying in their beds.
16 He may whisper something in their ear,
and they are frightened when they hear his warnings.
17 God warns people to stop them from doing wrong
and to keep them from becoming proud.
18 He does this to save them from death.[b]
He wants to keep them from being destroyed.
19 “Or those who are sick in bed might be suffering punishment from God.
The pain that makes their bones ache might be a warning from him.
20 They feel so bad they cannot eat.
Even the best food makes them sick.
21 Their bodies might waste away until they become thin
and all their bones stick out.
22 They might be close to death,
their lives about to end.
23 But maybe one of God’s thousands of angels is watching over them,
to speak for them and tell about the good things they have done.
24 Maybe the angel will be kind and say to God,
‘Save this one from the place of death!
I have found a way to pay for his life.’
25 Then that person’s body will become young and strong again.
He will be as he was when he was young.
26 He will pray and God will answer.
He will worship God and shout with joy.
He will again stand as right before God.
27 He will tell everyone, ‘I sinned.
I changed good into bad,
but God didn’t give me the punishment I deserved!
28 God saved me from going down to the place of death.
Now I can enjoy life again.’
29 “God does all these things for people again and again.
30 He wants them to be saved from death
so that they can enjoy life.
31 “Job, pay attention and listen to me.
Be quiet and let me talk.
32 But if you have an answer, go ahead and speak.
Tell me your argument.
I would be happy to know that you are innocent!
33 But if you have nothing to say, then listen to me.
Be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”
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Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International