Job 33:14–28

¹⁴He speaks in one way and then another.

We might not even realize it.

¹⁵He might speak in a dream or in a vision at night.

That’s when people are sound asleep in their beds.

¹⁶He might speak in their ears.

His warnings might terrify them.

¹⁷He warns men in order to turn them away from sinning.

He wants to keep them from being proud.

¹⁸He wants to stop them from going down into the grave.

He doesn’t want them to be killed with swords.

¹⁹Someone might be punished by suffering in bed.

The pain in his bones might never go away.

²⁰He might feel so bad he can’t eat anything.

He might even hate the finest food.

²¹His body might waste away to nothing.

His bones might have been hidden.

But now they stick out.

²²He might approach the very edge of the grave.

The messengers of death might come for him.

²³“But suppose there is an angel who will speak up for him.

The angel is very special. He’s one out of a thousand.

He will tell that person what is right for him.

²⁴He’ll be gracious to him. He’ll say to God,

‘Spare him from going down into the grave.

I know a way that can set him free.’

²⁵Then his body is made like new again.

He becomes as strong and healthy as when he was young.

²⁶He prays to God and finds favor with him.

He sees God’s face and shouts with joy.

God makes him right with himself again.

²⁷Then the person comes to others and says,

‘I sinned. I made what was wrong appear to be right.

But I wasn’t punished as I should have been.

²⁸God set me free. He kept me from going down into the grave.

So I’ll live to enjoy the light that leads to life.’