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Elihu Begins His Discourse

33 “Now please listen to what I have to say, Job.
    Listen to every word!
Look! I’ve begun to speak,[a]
    and I’m fashioning my words.[b]
I speak from the innocence[c] of my heart;
    and my lips will utter what I sincerely know.

“The spirit of God fashioned me;
    and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Answer me, if you can!
    Present your case! Take your stand in my presence!
Look! As far as God is concerned,[d] I’m just like you are—
    I, too, have been pinched off from a piece of clay.
Don’t be afraid of me;
    I’ll go easy[e] on you.”

Elihu Reviews Job’s Claim for Innocence

“You spoke clearly so I could hear;
    I’ve heard what you’ve said:
‘I’m pure. I’m without sin;
    I’m innocent. I’m harboring no iniquity inside of me.
10 Nevertheless, God[f] has found a pretext to attack me;
    he considers me his enemy.
11 He has bound my feet in shackles,
    and keeps watching everything I do.’”[g]

God Responds to Humanity’s Need

12 “You aren’t right about this;
    My response is that God is greater than human beings.
13 Why are you arguing with him?
    He doesn’t have to give explanations for what he does to you!

14 “God speaks time and time again[h]
    but nobody notices—
15 in a dream or night vision,
    when a deep sleep falls on mankind
        while they sleep on their beds.
16 That’s when he opens the ear of mankind,
    authenticating his messages[i] to them,
17 turning a person from his actions,
    keeping him[j] from pride,
18 sparing his soul from the Pit[k]
    and his life from violent death.[l]

19 “He is being reproved by painful bed rest,
    with continual aching in his bones.
20 He cannot stand his food,
    and he[m] has no desire for appetizing food.
21 His flesh wastes away;
    his bones, which once couldn’t be seen, are visible.
22 His soul is getting close to the Pit;[n]
    his life is approaching its executioner.”

God Delivers through His Ransom

23 “If there’s a messenger[o] appointed to mediate for Job[p]
    —one out of a thousand—
        to represent the man’s integrity on his behalf,
24 to show favor to him and to plead,
    ‘Deliver him from having to go down to the Pit[q]
        I know where his ransom is!’
25 Let his flesh be rejuvenated[r] as he was in his youth!
    Let him recover the strength of his youth.
26 Let him pray to God
    and he will accept him;
        he will appear before him with joyful shouts!”

The Song of the Ransomed

27 “He’ll sing to mankind with these words:

‘I’ve sinned. I have twisted what is right.
    Yet he has not repaid me like I deserve.[s]
28 He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit;[t]
    my life will see the light.’

29 Indeed God does all these things
    again and again[u] with a person
30 to bring back his soul from the Pit;[v]
    to light him with the light of life.”

Elihu Invites Job to Respond

31 “Job, pay attention! Listen to me!
    Be silent and let me speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
    speak up, because I’d be happy to vindicate you.
33 But if you have nothing to say, then at least listen to me!
    Be quiet and learn some wisdom from me.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 33:2 Lit. I’ve opened my mouth
  2. Job 33:2 Lit. and my tongue speaks in my mouth
  3. Job 33:3 Or integrity
  4. Job 33:6 Lit. Look! Before God
  5. Job 33:7 Lit. my hand won’t be heavy
  6. Job 33:10 Lit. he
  7. Job 33:11 Lit. watching all my paths
  8. Job 33:14 Lit. speaks once and twice
  9. Job 33:16 Lit. mankind, sealing his instruction
  10. Job 33:17 Lit. man
  11. Job 33:18 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
  12. Job 33:18 Lit. from death by the sword
  13. Job 33:20 Lit. his soul
  14. Job 33:22 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
  15. Job 33:23 Or an angel
  16. Job 33:23 Lit. him
  17. Job 33:24 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
  18. Job 33:25 Lit. grew fresh
  19. Job 33:27 The Heb. lacks like I deserve
  20. Job 33:28 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
  21. Job 33:29 Lit. things twice, three times
  22. Job 33:30 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife

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