Job 33:14–28

Two Ways God Warns People

¹⁴“God speaks in one way, 

even in two ways without people noticing it: 

¹⁵In a dream, a prophetic vision at night, 

when people fall into a deep sleep, 

when they sleep on their beds, 

¹⁶he opens people’s ears 

and terrifies them with warnings. 

¹⁷⸤He warns them⸥ to turn away from doing ⸤wrong⸥ 

and to stop being arrogant.^a

¹⁸He keeps their souls from the pit 

and their lives from crossing the River ⸤of Death⸥. 

¹⁹In pain on their sickbeds, they are disciplined 

with endless aching in their bones 

²⁰so that their whole being hates food 

and they lose their appetite for a delicious meal. 

²¹Their flesh becomes so thin that it can’t be seen. 

Their bones, not seen before, will be exposed. 

²²Their souls approach the pit. 

Their lives come close to those already dead. 

A Third Way God Warns People

²³“If they have a messenger for them, 

a spokesman, one in a thousand, 

to tell people what is right for them, 

²⁴then he will have pity on them and say, 

‘Free them from going into the pit. 

I have found a ransom.’ 

²⁵Then their flesh will become softer than a child’s. 

They will go back to the days of their youth. 

²⁶They will pray to God, who will be pleased with them. 

They will see God’s face and shout for joy 

as he restores their righteousness.^b

²⁷Each one sings in front of other people and says, 

‘I sinned and did wrong instead of what was right, 

and it did me no good. 

²⁸The messenger has freed my soul from going into the pit, 

and my life will see the light.’