Job 33

¹ But now, hear my speech, O Job,
and listen to all my words.

² Behold, I 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 The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

⁵ Answer me, if you can;
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 clay.

⁷ Behold, no fear of me need terrify you;
my 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 'I am clean, without transgression;
I am pure, and there is no iniquity in me.'

¹⁰ 'Behold, he finds pretexts against me;
he counts me as his enemy.'

¹¹ 'He puts my feet in the stocks;
he watches all my paths.'

¹² Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you:
God is greater than man.

¹³ Why do you contend against him,
saying, 'He will answer none of man's words'?

¹⁴ For God speaks in one way,
and in two, though man does not perceive it.

¹⁵ In a dream, in a vision of the night,
when deep sleep falls on men,
while they slumber on their beds,

¹⁶ then he opens the ears of men
and terrifies them with warnings,

¹⁷ that he may turn man aside from his deed
and conceal pride from a man;

¹⁸ he keeps back his soul from the pit,
his life from perishing by the sword.

¹⁹ Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed
and with continual strife in his bones,

²⁰ so that his life loathes bread
and his appetite the choicest food.

²¹ His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,
and his bones that were not seen stick out.

²² His soul draws near the pit,
and his life to those who bring death.

²³ If there is for him a messenger,
an interpreter, one of a thousand,
to declare to man his uprightness,

²⁴ and he is gracious to him and says,
'Deliver him from going down to the pit;
I have found a ransom,'

²⁵ then his flesh becomes fresh with youth;
he returns to the days of his youthful vigor.

²⁶ He prays to God, and he accepts him;
he sees his face with a shout of joy,
and he restores to man his righteousness.

²⁷ He sings before men and says:
'I sinned and perverted what was right,
and it was not repaid to me.'

²⁸ 'He has redeemed my soul from going down to the pit,
and my life shall look upon the light.'

²⁹ Behold, God does all these things,
twice, three times, with a man,

³⁰ to bring back his soul from the pit,
that he may be lighted with the light of life.

³¹ Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.

³² If you have any words, answer me;
speak, for I desire to justify you.

³³ If not, listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.