Job 33

Elihu Confronts Job

33But now, Job, pay attention to my speech,

and listen to all my words.

²I am going to open my mouth;

my tongue will form words on my palate.

³My words come from my upright ^eheart,

and my lips speak with sincerity what they know.

⁴The Spirit of God has made me,

and the breath of the Almighty ^fgives me life. ^g

⁵Refute me if you can.

Prepare ^hyour case against me; take your stand. ⁱ

⁶I am just like you before God;

I was also pinched off from a piece of clay. ^j

⁷Fear ^kof me should not terrify you;

the pressure I exert ^lagainst you will be light.

⁸Surely you have spoken in my hearing,

and I have heard these very ^mwords:

⁹“I am pure, without transgression;

I am clean and have no guilt. ⁿ

¹⁰But He finds reasons to oppose me;

He regards me as His enemy. ^o

¹¹He puts my feet in the stocks;

He stands watch ^pover all my paths.”

¹²But I tell you that you are wrong in this matter,

since God is greater than man. ^q

¹³Why do you take ^rHim to court

for not answering anything a person asks? ^s

¹⁴For God speaks time and again,

but a person may not notice it.

¹⁵In a dream, a vision ^tin the night,

when deep sleep falls on people ^u

as they slumber on their beds,

¹⁶He uncovers their ears ^vat that time

and terrifies them ^wwith warnings,

¹⁷in order to turn a person from his actions

and suppress his pride. ^x

¹⁸God spares his soul from the Pit, ^y

his life from crossing the river of death. ^z

¹⁹A person may be disciplined on his bed ^awith pain

and constant distress in his bones, ^b

²⁰so that he detests bread,

and his soul despises his favorite food. ^c

²¹His flesh wastes away to nothing, ^d

and his unseen bones stick out.

²²He draws near to the Pit,

and his life to the executioners.

²³If there is an angel ^eon his side,

one mediator out of a thousand,

to tell a person what is right for him ^f

²⁴and to be gracious to him and say,

“Spare him from going down to the Pit;

I have found a ransom,” ^g

²⁵then his flesh will be healthier ^hthan in his youth,

and he will return to the days of his youthful vigor. ⁱ

²⁶He will pray to God, and God will delight in him.

That man will see His face ^jwith a shout of joy,

and God will restore his righteousness to him. ^k

²⁷He will look at men and say,

“I have sinned and perverted what was right;

yet I did not get what I deserved. ^l

²⁸He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit,

and I will continue to see the light.”

²⁹God certainly does all these things

two or three times to a man

³⁰in order to turn him back from the Pit,

so he may shine with the light of life. ^m

³¹Pay attention, Job, and listen to me.

Be quiet, and I will speak.

³²But if you have something to say, ⁿanswer me;

speak, for I would like to justify you.

³³If not, then listen to me;

be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.