Job 33

¹ And yet, I pray thee, O Job, Hear my speech and [to] all my words give ear.

² Lo, I pray thee, I have opened my mouth, My tongue hath spoken in the palate.

³ Of the uprightness of my heart [are] my sayings, And knowledge have my lips clearly spoken.

⁴ The Spirit of God hath made me, And the breath of the Mighty doth quicken me.

⁵ If thou art able — answer me, Set in array before me — station thyself.

⁶ Lo, I [am], according to thy word, for God, From the clay I — I also, have been formed.

⁷ Lo, my terror doth not frighten thee, And my burden on thee is not heavy.

⁸ Surely — 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.

¹⁰ Lo, occasions against me He doth find, He doth reckon me for an enemy to Him,

¹¹ He doth put in the stocks my feet, He doth watch all my paths.’

¹² Lo, [in] this thou hast not been righteous, I answer thee, that greater is God than man.

¹³ Wherefore against Him hast thou striven, When [for] all His matters He answereth not?

¹⁴ For once doth God speak, and twice, (He doth not behold it.)

¹⁵ In a dream — a vision of night, In the falling of deep sleep on men, In slumberings on a bed.

¹⁶ Then He uncovereth the ear of men, And for their instruction sealeth:

¹⁷ To turn aside man [from] doing, And pride from man He concealeth.

¹⁸ He keepeth back his soul from corruption, And his life from passing away by a dart.

¹⁹ And he hath been reproved With pain on his bed, And the strife of his bones [is] enduring.

²⁰ And his life hath nauseated bread, And his soul desirable food.

²¹ His flesh is consumed from being seen, And high are his bones, they were not seen!

²² And draw near to the pit doth his soul, And his life to those causing death.

²³ If there is by him a messenger, An interpreter — one of a thousand, To declare for man his uprightness:

²⁴ Then He doth favour him and saith, ‘Ransom him from going down to the pit, I have found an atonement.’

²⁵ Fresher [is] his flesh than a child’s, He returneth to the days of his youth.

²⁶ He maketh supplication unto God, And He accepteth him. And he seeth His face with shouting, And He returneth to man His righteousness.

²⁷ He looketh on men, and saith, ‘I sinned, And uprightness I have perverted, And it hath not been profitable to me.

²⁸ He hath ransomed my soul From going over into the pit, And my life on the light looketh.’

²⁹ Lo, all these doth God work, Twice — thrice with man,

³⁰ To bring back his soul from the pit, To be enlightened with the light of the living.

³¹ Attend, O Job, hearken to me, Keep silent, and I — I do speak.

³² If there are words — answer me, Speak, for I have a desire to justify thee.

³³ If there are not — hearken thou to me, Keep silent, and I teach thee wisdom.