Job 33

¹And yet, I pray thee, O Job, Hear my speech and to all my words give ear. ²Lo, I pray thee, I have opened my mouth, My tongue hath spoken in the palate. ³Of the uprightness of my heart are my sayings, And knowledge have my lips clearly spoken. ⁴The Spirit of God hath made me, And the breath of the Mighty doth quicken me. ⁵If thou art able—answer me, Set in array before me—station thyself. ⁶Lo, I am, according to thy word, for God, From the clay I—I also, have been formed. ⁷Lo, my terror doth not frighten thee, And my burden on thee is not heavy.

⁸Surely—thou hast said in mine ears, And the sounds of words I hear: ⁹‘Pure am I, without transgression, Innocent am I, and I have no iniquity. ¹⁰Lo, occasions against me He doth find, He doth reckon me for an enemy to Him, ¹¹He doth put in the stocks my feet, He doth watch all my paths.’ ¹²Lo, in this thou hast not been righteous, I answer thee, that greater is God than man. ¹³Wherefore against Him hast thou striven, When for all His matters He answereth not?

¹⁴For once doth God speak, and twice, (He doth not behold it.) ¹⁵In a dream—a vision of night, In the falling of deep sleep on men, In slumberings on a bed. ¹⁶Then He uncovereth the ear of men, And for their instruction sealeth: ¹⁷To turn aside man from doing, And pride from man He concealeth. ¹⁸He keepeth back his soul from corruption, And his life from passing away by a dart.

¹⁹And he hath been reproved With pain on his bed, And the strife of his bones is enduring. ²⁰And his life hath nauseated bread, And his soul desirable food. ²¹His flesh is consumed from being seen, And high are his bones, they were not seen! ²²And draw near to the pit doth his soul, And his life to those causing death. ²³If there is by him a messenger, An interpreter—one of a thousand, To declare for man his uprightness: ²⁴Then He doth favour him and saith, ‘Ransom him from going down to the pit, I have found an atonement.’ ²⁵Fresher is his flesh than a child’s, He returneth to the days of his youth. ²⁶He maketh supplication unto God, And He accepteth him. And he seeth His face with shouting, And He returneth to man His righteousness. ²⁷He looketh on men, and saith, ‘I sinned, And uprightness I have perverted, And it hath not been profitable to me. ²⁸He hath ransomed my soul From going over into the pit, And my life on the light looketh.’

²⁹Lo, all these doth God work, Twice—thrice with man, ³⁰To bring back his soul from the pit, To be enlightened with the light of the living. ³¹Attend, O Job, hearken to me, Keep silent, and I—I do speak. ³²If there are words—answer me, Speak, for I have a desire to justify thee. ³³If there are not—hearken thou to me, Keep silent, and I teach thee wisdom.

Chapter 34