Job 33

33And now, Job, listen carefully to all that I have to say.

²I am ready to say what’s on my mind.

³All my words are sincere,

and I am speaking the truth.

⁴God’s spirit made me and gave me life.

⁵Answer me if you can. Prepare your arguments.

⁶You and I are the same in God’s sight,

both of us were formed from clay.

⁷So you have no reason to fear me;

I will not overpower you.

⁸Now this is what I heard you say:

⁹“I am not guilty; I have done nothing wrong.

I am innocent and free from sin.

¹⁰But God finds excuses for attacking me

and treats me like an enemy.

^11*He binds chains on my feet;

he watches every move I make.”

¹²But I tell you, Job, you are wrong.

God is greater than any human being.

¹³Why do you accuse God

of never answering our complaints?

¹⁴Although God speaks again and again,

no one pays attention to what he says.

^15*At night when people are asleep,

God speaks in dreams and visions.

¹⁶He makes them listen to what he says,

and they are frightened at his warnings.

¹⁷God speaks to make them stop their sinning

and to save them from becoming proud.

¹⁸He will not let them be destroyed;

he saves them from death itself.

¹⁹God corrects people by sending sickness

and filling their bodies with pain.

²⁰Those who are sick lose their appetites,

and even the finest food looks revolting.

²¹Their bodies waste away to nothing;

you can see all their bones;

²²they are about to go to the world of the dead.

²³Perhaps an angel may come to their aid—

one of God’s thousands of angels, who remind us of our duty.

²⁴In mercy the angel will say, “Release them!

They are not to go down to the world of the dead.

Here is the ransom to set them free.”

²⁵Their bodies will grow young and strong again;

²⁶when they pray, God will answer;

they will worship God with joy;

God will set things right for them again.

²⁷Each one will say in public, “I have sinned.

I have not done right, but God spared me.

²⁸He kept me from going to the world of the dead,

and I am still alive.”

²⁹God does all this again and again;

³⁰he saves a person’s life,

and gives him the joy of living.

³¹Now, Job, listen to what I am saying;

be quiet and let me speak.

³²But if you have something to say, let me hear it;

I would gladly admit you are in the right.

³³But if not, be quiet and listen to me,

and I will teach you how to be wise.