Job 33

Elihu Confronts Job

1 But now, Job, pay attention to my speech,
and listen to all my words.
2 I am going to open my mouth;
my tongue will form words on my palate.
3 My words come from my upright ^a heart,
and my lips speak with sincerity what they know.
4 The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the ^{▼▼God Almighty: The Hebrew word is El Shaddai; El = "God," but the meaning of Shaddai is disputed; traditionally it is translated "Almighty".}Almighty ^c gives me life. ^d
5 Refute me if you can.
Prepare ^e your case against me; take your stand. ^f
6 I am just like you before God;
I was also pinched off from a piece of clay. ^g
7 Fear ^h of me should not terrify you;
the pressure I exert ^{▼▼Lit you; my pressure} against you will be light.

8 Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
and I have heard these very ^{▼▼Lit heard a sound of} words:
9 “I am pure, without transgression;
I am ^{▼▼clean: When something is clean, it is holy or acceptable to God. When it is unclean, it is unholy (such as an unclean spirit). The term can be used in a ritual sense to apply to moral standards for living.}clean and have no ^{▼▼guilt/guilty: The liability to be punished for a fault, a sin, an act, or an omission unless there is forgiveness or atonement; the term normally concerns an objective fact, not a subjective feeling.}guilt. ^m
10 But He finds reasons to oppose me;
He regards me as His enemy. ⁿ
11 He puts my feet in the stocks;
He stands watch ^o over all my paths.”

12 But I tell you that you are wrong in this matter,
since God is greater than man. ^p
13 Why do you take ^q Him to court
for not answering anything a person asks? ^{▼▼Lit court, for He does not answer all his words}
14 For God speaks time and again,
but a person may not notice it.
15 In a dream, a vision ^s in the night,
when deep sleep falls on people ^t
as they slumber on their beds,
16 He uncovers their ears ^u at that time
and terrifies them ^{▼▼LXX; MT reads and seals} with warnings,
17 in order to turn a person from his actions
and suppress his pride. ^{▼▼Lit and cover pride within a man}
18 God spares his soul from the ^{▼▼Pit: Either the grave or the realm of the dead}Pit, ^y
his life from crossing the river of death. ^{▼▼Or from perishing by the sword}
19 A person may be disciplined on his bed ^aa with pain
and constant distress in his bones, ^ab
20 so that he detests bread,
and his soul despises his favorite food. ^ac
21 His flesh wastes away to nothing, ^{▼▼Lit away from sight}
and his unseen bones stick out.
22 He draws near to the Pit,
and his life to the executioners.
23 If there is an angel ^ae on his side,
one mediator out of a thousand,
to tell a person what is right for him ^{▼▼Or to vouch for a person’s uprightness}
24 and to be gracious to him and say,
“Spare him from going down to the Pit;
I have found a ransom,” ^ag
25 then his flesh will be healthier ^{▼▼Hb obscure} than in his youth,
and he will return to the days of his youthful vigor. ^ai
26 He will pray to God, and God will delight in him.
That man will see His face ^aj with a shout of joy,
and God will restore his righteousness to him. ^ak
27 He will look at men and say,
“I have sinned and perverted what was right;
yet I did not get what I deserved. ^{▼▼Lit and the same was not to me}
28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit,
and I will continue to see the light.”
29 God certainly does all these things
two or three times to a man
30 in order to turn him back from the Pit,
so he may shine with the light of life. ^am
31 Pay attention, Job, and listen to me.
Be quiet, and I will speak.
32 But if you have something to say, ^{▼▼Lit If there are words} answer me;
speak, for I would like to justify you.
33 If not, then listen to me;
be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.