Job 33

Elihu Claims to Speak for God

1 “However now, Job, please ^ahear my speech,
And listen to all my words.
2 “Behold now, I open my mouth,
My tongue in my ^{▼▼ Lit palate}mouth speaks.
3 “My words are from the uprightness of my heart,
And my lips speak ^cknowledge sincerely.
4 “The ^dSpirit of God has made me,
And the ^ebreath of ^{▼▼ Heb Shaddai}the Almighty gives me life.
5 ^g“Refute me if you can;
Array yourselves before me, take your stand.
6 “Behold, I belong to God like you;
I too have been ^{▼▼ Lit cut out of}formed out of the ⁱclay.
7 “Behold, ^jno fear of me should terrify you,
Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you.

8 “Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words:
9 ‘I am ^kpure, ^lwithout transgression;
I am innocent and there ^mis no guilt in me.
10 ‘Behold, He ^{▼▼ Lit finds}invents pretexts against me;
He ^ocounts me as His enemy.
11 ‘He ^pputs my feet in the stocks;
He watches all my paths.’
12 “Behold, let me ^{▼▼ Lit answer}tell you, ^ryou are not right in this,
For God is greater than man.

13 “Why do you ^scomplain against Him
That He does not give an account of all His doings?
14 “Indeed ^tGod speaks once,
Or twice, yet no one notices it.
15 “In a ^udream, a vision of the night,
When sound sleep falls on men,
While they slumber in their beds,
16 Then ^vHe opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction,
17 That He may turn man aside from his conduct,
And ^{▼▼ Lit hide}keep man from pride;
18 He ^xkeeps back his soul from the pit,
And his life from ^{▼▼ M.T. perishing by the sword}passing over ^zinto Sheol.

19 ^{▼▼ Lit He}“Man is also chastened with ^abpain on his bed,
And with unceasing complaint in his bones;
20 So that his life ^acloathes bread,
And his soul favorite food.
21 “His ^adflesh wastes away from sight,
And his ^aebones which were not seen stick out.
22 “Then ^afhis soul draws near to the pit,
And his life to those who bring death.

23 “If there is an angel as ^agmediator for him,
One out of a thousand,
To remind a man what is ^{▼▼ Lit his uprightness}right for him,
24 Then let him be gracious to him, and say,
‘Deliver him from ^aigoing down to the pit,
I have found a ^ajransom’;
25 Let his flesh become fresher than in youth,
Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor;
26 Then he will ^akpray to God, and He will accept him,
That ^alhe may see His face with joy,
And He may restore His righteousness to man.
27 “He will sing to men and say,
‘I ^amhave sinned and perverted what is right,
And it is not ^anproper for me.
28 ‘He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit,
And my life shall ^aosee the light.’

29 “Behold, God does ^apall these ^{▼▼ Lit twice, three times}oftentimes with men,
30 To ^arbring back his soul from the pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.
31 “Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;
Keep silent, and let me speak.
32 “Then if ^{▼▼ Lit there are words}you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 “If not, ^atlisten to me;
Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”