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33 “Now, Job, ·listen to [hear] my words.
    Pay attention to ·everything I say [L all my words].
I open my mouth
    and ·am ready to speak [L the tongue in my mouth speaks].
My words come from an ·honest [virtuous] heart,
    and ·I am sincere in saying what I know [L what my lips know they speak with sincerity].
The Spirit of God ·created [has made] me,
    and the breath of ·the Almighty [Shaddai] gave me life.
Answer me if you can;
    get yourself ready and stand before me.
I am just like you before God;
    I too ·am made [was formed] out of clay.
·Don’t be afraid of me [L Dread of me should not scare you];
    ·I will not be hard on you [L My pressure will not be too heavy on you].

“But ·I heard what you have said [L you have spoken in my ear];
    I heard ·every word [L the sound of your words].
You said, ‘I am pure and without ·sin [transgression];
    I am ·innocent [L clean] and free from guilt.
10 But God has found ·fault [reason to be upset] with me;
    he ·considers me [thinks I am] his enemy.
11 He ·locks [places] my feet in ·chains [shackles]
    and ·closely watches everywhere I go [L guards all my paths].’

12 “But I tell you, you are not ·right in saying this [L correct],
    I will answer you, for God is greater than ·we are [L any human being].
13 Why do you ·accuse [contend with] God
    ·of not answering anyone [or for no one can answer all his words]?
14 God does speak—sometimes ·one way and sometimes another [or once and sometimes twice]
    even though people may not ·understand [perceive] it.
15 He speaks in a dream or a vision of the night
    when people are in a deep sleep,
    lying on their beds in slumber.
16 He ·speaks in [L opens] their ears
    and frightens them with warnings
17 to turn them away from doing wrong
    and to keep them from being proud.
18 God does this to ·save people [L keep them] from ·death [L the Pit; C a reference to the grave and the underworld],
    to keep them from ·dying [L the water channel; C another reference to the grave and the underworld].
19 People may be ·corrected [reprimanded; reproved] while in bed in great pain;
    they may have continual pain in their very bones.
20 ·They may be in such pain that they even hate [L Their lives loathe] food,
    even ·the very best meal [choice food].
21 ·Their body becomes so thin [L Their flesh wastes away so that] ·there is almost nothing left of it [L it cannot be seen],
    and their bones that were hidden now stick out.
22 ·They are [L Their souls draw] near ·death [L the Pit; 33:18],
    and their life ·is almost over [L comes near those who bring death].

23 “·But there may be [L If there is] an angel to speak for him,
    one out of a thousand, ·who will tell him what to do [a mediator who declares a person virtuous].
24 The angel will ·beg for mercy [or be gracious to him] and say:
    ‘·Save [Redeem] him from ·death [L going down to the Pit; 33:18].
    I have found a ·way to pay for his life [ransom].’
25 Then his body is made new like a ·child’s [youth’s].
    It will return to the way it was when he was ·young [vigorous].
26 That person will pray to God, and God will ·listen to [L accept] him.
    He will see God’s face and will shout with happiness.
    And ·God will set things right for him again [or he will repeat to others that he has been vindicated].
27 Then he will ·say [L sing] to others,
    ‘I sinned and ·twisted what was right [perverted/sullied virtue],
    but I did not receive the punishment I should have received.
28 God ·bought [redeemed] my life ·back from death [L from crossing over to the Pit; 33:18],
    and ·I will continue to enjoy life [L my life will yet see the light].’

29 “God does all these things to a person
    two or even three times
30 ·so he won’t die as punishment for his sins [L to bring back his life from the Pit; 33:18]
    and so he may ·still enjoy life [L be illuminated with the light of life].

31 “Job, pay attention and listen to me;
    be quiet, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
    speak up, because I want to ·prove you right [vindicate you].
33 But if you have nothing to say, then listen to me;
    be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”

33 “But now, Job, listen(A) to my words;
    pay attention to everything I say.(B)
I am about to open my mouth;
    my words are on the tip of my tongue.
My words come from an upright heart;(C)
    my lips sincerely speak what I know.(D)
The Spirit(E) of God has made me;(F)
    the breath of the Almighty(G) gives me life.(H)
Answer me(I) then, if you can;
    stand up(J) and argue your case before me.(K)
I am the same as you in God’s sight;(L)
    I too am a piece of clay.(M)
No fear of me should alarm you,
    nor should my hand be heavy on you.(N)

“But you have said in my hearing—
    I heard the very words—
‘I am pure,(O) I have done no wrong;(P)
    I am clean and free from sin.(Q)
10 Yet God has found fault with me;
    he considers me his enemy.(R)
11 He fastens my feet in shackles;(S)
    he keeps close watch on all my paths.’(T)

12 “But I tell you, in this you are not right,
    for God is greater than any mortal.(U)
13 Why do you complain to him(V)
    that he responds to no one’s words[a]?(W)
14 For God does speak(X)—now one way, now another(Y)
    though no one perceives it.(Z)
15 In a dream,(AA) in a vision(AB) of the night,(AC)
    when deep sleep(AD) falls on people
    as they slumber in their beds,
16 he may speak(AE) in their ears
    and terrify them(AF) with warnings,(AG)
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
    and keep them from pride,(AH)
18 to preserve them from the pit,(AI)
    their lives from perishing by the sword.[b](AJ)

19 “Or someone may be chastened(AK) on a bed of pain(AL)
    with constant distress in their bones,(AM)
20 so that their body finds food(AN) repulsive
    and their soul loathes the choicest meal.(AO)
21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing,
    and their bones,(AP) once hidden, now stick out.(AQ)
22 They draw near to the pit,(AR)
    and their life to the messengers of death.[c](AS)
23 Yet if there is an angel at their side,
    a messenger,(AT) one out of a thousand,
    sent to tell them how to be upright,(AU)
24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God,
    ‘Spare them from going down to the pit;(AV)
    I have found a ransom for them(AW)
25 let their flesh be renewed(AX) like a child’s;
    let them be restored as in the days of their youth’(AY)
26 then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,(AZ)
    they will see God’s face and shout for joy;(BA)
    he will restore them to full well-being.(BB)
27 And they will go to others and say,
    ‘I have sinned,(BC) I have perverted what is right,(BD)
    but I did not get what I deserved.(BE)
28 God has delivered(BF) me from going down to the pit,(BG)
    and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’(BH)

29 “God does all these things to a person(BI)
    twice, even three times(BJ)
30 to turn them back(BK) from the pit,(BL)
    that the light of life(BM) may shine on them.(BN)

31 “Pay attention, Job, and listen(BO) to me;(BP)
    be silent,(BQ) and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;(BR)
    speak up, for I want to vindicate you.(BS)
33 But if not, then listen to me;(BT)
    be silent,(BU) and I will teach you wisdom.(BV)

Footnotes

  1. Job 33:13 Or that he does not answer for any of his actions
  2. Job 33:18 Or from crossing the river
  3. Job 33:22 Or to the place of the dead