33 “Job, listen now to my words.
    Pay attention to everything I say.
² I’m about to open my mouth.
    My words are on the tip of my tongue.
³ What I say comes from an honest heart.
    My lips speak only what I know is true.
⁴ The Spirit of God has made me.
    The breath of the Mighty One gives me life.
⁵ So answer me if you can.
    Stand up and argue your case in front of me.
⁶ To God I’m just the same as you.
    I too am a piece of clay.
⁷ You don’t have to be afraid of me.
    My hand won’t be too heavy on you.

⁸ “But I heard what you said.
    And here are the exact words I heard.
⁹ You said, ‘I’m pure. I have done no wrong.
    I’m clean. I’m free from sin.
¹⁰ But God has found fault with me.
    He thinks I’m his enemy.
¹¹ He puts my feet in chains.
    He watches every step I take.’

¹² “But I’m telling you that you aren’t right when you talk like that.
    After all, God is greater than any human being.
¹³ Why do you claim that God
    never answers anybody’s questions?
¹⁴ He speaks in one way and then another.
    But we do not even realize it.
¹⁵ He might speak in a dream or in a vision at night.
    That’s when people are sound asleep in their beds.
¹⁶ He might speak in their ears.
    His warnings might terrify them.
¹⁷ He warns them in order to turn them away from sinning.
    He wants to keep them from being proud.
¹⁸ He wants to stop them from going down into the grave.
    He doesn’t want them to be killed by swords.
¹⁹ Someone might be punished by suffering in bed.
    The pain in their bones might never go away.
²⁰ They might feel so bad they can’t eat anything.
    They might even hate the finest food.
²¹ Their body might waste away to nothing.
    Their bones might have been hidden.
    But now they stick out.
²² They might approach the very edge of the grave.
    The messengers of death might come for them.

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 how to do what is right.
²⁴ That angel will be gracious to them. He’ll say to God,
    ‘Spare them from going down into the grave.
    I know a way that can set them free.’
²⁵ Then their body is made like new again.
    They become as strong and healthy as when they were young.
²⁶ Then that person can pray to God and be blessed by him.
    They will see God’s face and shout for joy.
    God will make them well and happy again.
²⁷ Then that person will come to others and say,
    ‘I sinned. I made what is wrong appear to be right.
    But I wasn’t punished as I should have been.
²⁸ God has set me free. He has kept me from going down into the darkness of the grave.
    So I’ll live to enjoy the light of life.’

²⁹ “God does all these things to people.
    In fact, he does them again and again.
³⁰ He wants to stop people from going down into the darkness of the grave.
    Then the light of life will shine on them.

³¹ “Pay attention, Job! Listen to me!
    Be quiet so I can speak.
³² If you have anything to say, answer me.
    Speak up. I want to help you be cleared of all charges.
³³ But if you don’t have anything to say, listen to me.
    Be quiet so I can teach you how to be wise.”