Job 33:8-13
New English Translation
Elihu Rejects Job’s Plea of Innocence
8 “Indeed, you have said in my hearing[a]
(I heard the sound of the words!):
9 [b] ‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am clean[c] and have no iniquity.
10 [d] Yet God[e] finds occasions[f] with me;
he regards me as his enemy.
11 [g] He puts my feet in shackles;
he watches closely all my paths.’
12 Now in this, you are not right—I answer you,[h]
for God is greater than a human being.[i]
13 Why do you contend against him,
that he does not answer all a person’s[j] words?
Footnotes
- Job 33:8 tn Heb “in my ears.”
- Job 33:9 sn See Job 9:21; 10:7; 23:7; 27:4; ch. 31.
- Job 33:9 tn The word is a hapax legomenon; חַף (khaf) is from חָפַף (khafaf). It is used in New Hebrew in expressions like “to wash” the head. Cognates in Syriac and Akkadian support the meaning “to wash; to clean.”
- Job 33:10 sn See Job 10:13ff.; 19:6ff.; 13:24.
- Job 33:10 tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Job 33:10 tn The Hebrew means “frustrations” or “oppositions.” The RSV has “displeasure,” NIV “faults,” and NRSV “occasions.” Rashi chose the word found in Judg 14:4—with metathesis—meaning “pretexts” (תֹּאֲנוֹת, toʾanot); this is followed by NAB, NASB.
- Job 33:11 sn See Job 13:27.
- Job 33:12 tn The meaning of this verb is “this is my answer to you.”
- Job 33:12 tc The LXX has “he that is above men is eternal.” Elihu is saying that God is far above Job’s petty problems.
- Job 33:13 tc The MT has “all his words.” This must refer to “man” in the previous verse. But many wish to change it to “my words,” since it would be summarizing Job’s complaint to God.
Job 33:8-13
New American Standard Bible
8 “You have in fact spoken [a]while I listened,
And I heard the sound of your words:
9 ‘I am (A)pure, (B)without wrongdoing;
I am innocent and there (C)is no guilt in me.
10 Behold, He [b]invents [c]criticisms against me;
He (D)counts me as His enemy.
11 He (E)puts my feet in the stocks;
He watches all my paths.’
12 Behold, let me respond to you, (F)you are not right in this,
For God is greater than mankind.
13 “Why do you (G)complain to Him
That He does not give an account of all His doings?
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