Job 33

1‘But now, Job, listen to the things that I will tell you.

Listen carefully to everything that I say.

2I will speak to you now.

I am ready to tell you the thoughts that are in my mind.

3I am an honest man. So you can believe the words that I speak.

All the things that I will say are true.

4The Spirit of God has made me.

I am alive because of him.

5Answer me now, Job, if you can.

Prepare yourself and get ready to speak with me.

6When God looks at us, we are all like each other.

God made both of us from dirt.

7There is no reason why you should be afraid of me.

I will not do anything that might hurt you.

8But I have heard you speak, Job.

And these are the words that you spoke.

9You said, “I am an honest man.

I have not done anything that was wrong.

10But God says that I have done wrong things.

And he thinks that I am his enemy.

11I cannot go far because he has tied my feet.

And he always watches me. So he knows where I go.”

12But I tell you this, Job, you are not right.

You know that God is greater than any man.

13So you should not argue with him.

You should not say that he does not answer any of your questions.

14God does speak to a man.

He speaks to him again and again.

But often the man does not listen to him.

And he does not hear the things that God has said.

15Sometimes God speaks to a man at night, while he is asleep in bed.

He speaks by the things that he dreams about.

16When God speaks in that way, a man listens to him.

And sometimes he is afraid because of the things that God says to him.

17God speaks to him to tell him that he must not to do wrong things.

A man may think that he is important.

But God tells him that he is not very important.

18God will not let anyone kill him.

He saves him from death.

19He may have illnesses that are very painful.

God can send an illness like that to teach a man the right way to live.

20Then a man feels sick if he looks at food.

He cannot eat even the food that he likes most.

21He was well but now he has become very thin.

He is so thin that people can see his bones.

22He is so ill that he will soon die.

Then he will go to the place where all dead people go.

23God has thousands of angels who can help a man like that.

Perhaps an angel will say, “This is a good man.”

24Then God will be kind to that sick person.

And God will say, “I have found someone to pay on behalf of this person. So keep him alive.”

25He will become well again.

And he will be strong, like a young man.

26He will pray to God and God will answer him.

He will again be God’s friend.

And he will enjoy that.

God will know him to be a good man again.

27Then he will say to people, “I did wrong things.

I did not live the right way but God forgave me.

28God paid to save me from death.

And now I will live to enjoy the light.”

29God does all these things to people.

He does them twice and sometimes three times.

30He saves them from death.

Then he lets them again enjoy their lives.

31Now, Job, listen to the things that I will say.

Be quiet, and I will speak to you.

32There may be something that you want to say. If there is, then say it.

Then I will be able to say to everyone that you are a good man.

33But you may not want to say anything. If not, then listen to me.

Be quiet and I will teach you about wisdom.’