1‘But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say.2I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue.3My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know.4The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.5Answer me then, if you can; stand up and argue your case before me.6I am the same as you in God’s sight; I too am a piece of clay.7No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy on you.8‘But you have said in my hearing – I heard the very words –9“I am pure, I have done no wrong; I am clean and free from sin.10Yet God has found fault with me; he considers me his enemy.11He fastens my feet in shackles; he keeps close watch on all my paths.”12‘But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than any mortal.13Why do you complain to him that he responds to no-one’s words[1]?14For God does speak – now one way, now another – though no-one perceives it.15In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds,16he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings,17to turn them from wrongdoing and keep them from pride,18to preserve them from the pit, their lives from perishing by the sword.[2]19‘Or someone may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in their bones,20so that their body finds food repulsive and their soul loathes the choicest meal.21Their flesh wastes away to nothing, and their bones, once hidden, now stick out.22They draw near to the pit, and their life to the messengers of death.[3]23Yet if there is an angel at their side, a messenger, one out of a thousand, sent to tell them how to be upright,24and he is gracious to that person and says to God, “Spare them from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for them –25let their flesh be renewed like a child’s; let them be restored as in the days of their youth” –26then that person can pray to God and find favour with him, they will see God’s face and shout for joy; he will restore them to full well-being.27And they will go to others and say, “I have sinned, and I have perverted what is right, but I did not get what I deserved.28God has delivered me from going down to the pit, and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.”29‘God does all these things to a person – twice, even three times –30to turn them back from the pit, that the light of life may shine on them.31‘Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.32If you have anything to say, answer me; speak up, for I want to vindicate you.33But if not, then listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.’
Job 33
English Standard Version
Elihu Rebukes Job
1“But now, hear my speech, O Job, and listen to all my words.2Behold, I open my mouth; the tongue in my mouth speaks. (Job 3:1)3My words declare the uprightness of my heart, and what my lips know they speak sincerely.4The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. (Ge 2:7; Job 27:3; Job 32:8; Eze 37:9; Ac 17:25)5Answer me, if you can; set your words in order before me; take your stand. (Job 13:18; Job 23:4; Job 33:32; Ps 5:3)6Behold, I am toward God as you are; I too was pinched off from a piece of clay. (Job 4:19)7Behold, no fear of me need terrify you; my pressure will not be heavy upon you. (Job 9:34; Job 13:21; Job 23:2)8“Surely you have spoken in my ears, and I have heard the sound of your words.9You say, ‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me. (Job 9:21; Job 10:7; Job 11:4; Job 12:4; Job 13:18; Job 16:17; Job 23:10; Job 27:5; Job 29:14; Job 32:1; Job 34:5; Job 34:6)10Behold, he finds occasions against me, he counts me as his enemy, (Job 13:24)11he puts my feet in the stocks and watches all my paths.’ (Job 10:14; Job 13:27; Job 14:16; Job 31:4)12“Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you, for God is greater than man.13Why do you contend against him, saying, ‘He will answer none of man’s[1] words’?[2] (Job 9:12; Job 13:3; Job 16:21; Job 31:35; Job 40:2)14For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it. (1Sa 3:4; 1Sa 3:6; Job 33:29; Job 40:5; Ps 62:11)15In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds, (Nu 12:6; Job 4:13; Ps 17:3)16then he opens the ears of men and terrifies[3] them with warnings, (Job 36:10; Job 36:15; Ps 40:6; Isa 50:5)17that he may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man; (Job 36:9)18he keeps back his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword. (Job 36:12)19“Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed and with continual strife in his bones, (Job 30:17)20so that his life loathes bread, and his appetite the choicest food. (Ps 107:18; Pr 23:3)21His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out. (Ps 22:17)22His soul draws near the pit, and his life to those who bring death. (2Sa 24:16; Job 33:24; Job 33:28; Ps 78:49)23If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him, (Ge 16:7; Ge 22:11; Ge 42:23; Ge 48:16; Ps 34:7; Pr 14:2; Ec 7:28; So 5:10; Isa 43:27; Isa 63:9; Eze 18:21; Mal 3:1)24and he is merciful to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom; (Job 36:18; Ps 49:7)25let his flesh become fresh with youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’; (2Ki 5:14; Heb 9:12)26then man[4] prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness. (2Sa 12:13; Job 22:27; Ps 17:15; Pr 28:13; Lu 15:21; 1Jo 1:9)27He sings before men and says: ‘I sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not repaid to me. (Ps 106:6; Ro 6:21)28He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.’ (Job 3:9; Job 33:22; Job 33:24; Isa 38:17)29“Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man, (Job 33:14)30to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life. (Ps 56:13)31Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.32If you have any words, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you. (Job 33:5; Job 34:33)33If not, listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.” (Ps 34:11)