Job 33 (UDB) · Opened

1"Now, Job, listen carefully to all that I am going to say.“But now, O Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words.

2I am ready to tell you what I think.Behold, I will open my mouth; my address is on the tip of my tongue.

3In my inner being I know that I am speaking honestly and that I am speaking sincerely.My words are from an upright heart, and my lips speak sincerely what I know.

4Almighty God has created me as well as you, and with his breath he has caused me to live.The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

5So answer what I say if you can; think carefully what you will reply to me.Refute me if you can; prepare your case and confront me.

6God considers that you and I are both the same; he formed both of us from clay.I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay.

7So you do not need to be afraid of me; I will not speak against you harshly.Surely no fear of me should terrify you; nor will my hand be heavy upon you.

8I have heard you speak, and this is what you have said:Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words:

9'I am innocent, and I have not committed any sins; I am pure, and I have not done things that are wrong.‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me.

10But God finds reasons to accuse me, and he considers that I am his enemy.Yet God finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy.

11It is as though he had put my feet in stocks, and he watches everything that I do.'He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches over all my paths.’

12However, what you have said is wrong, and I will tell you what you have said that is wrong. God is much greater than any human.Behold, you are not right in this matter. I will answer you, for God is greater than man.

13So, why are you arguing against God? He does not have to tell us why he does anything.Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks?

14God does, indeed, speak to us in various ways, but we do not pay any attention to what he says.For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices.

15Sometimes he speaks to us at night in dreams and visions when we are on our beds, heavily asleep.In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds,

16He reveals things to us in those times; he terrifies us by warning us about things.He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings

17He tells us those things in order that we may stop doing evil deeds and to prevent us from becoming proud.to turn a man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride,

18He does not want us to be destroyed; he wants to prevent us from dying while we are still young.to preserve his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword.

19God also corrects us by forcing us to lie on our beds, suffering much pain and fever in our bones.A man is also chastened on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones,

20The result is that we do not desire any food, not even very special food.so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food.

21Our bodies become very thin so that we look like a skeleton, and our bones stick out so others can count them.His flesh wastes away from sight, and his hidden bones protrude.

22We know that we will soon die and go to the place where dead people are.He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the messengers of death.

23Yet sometimes an angel may come to one of us, one of the thousands of angels who come to intervene between us and God, to tell us what are the right things for us to do.Yet if there is a messenger on his side, one mediator in a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him,

24The angel is kind to us and says to God, 'Please release that person, so that he does not descend to the place where dead people are! Do that because I have found a way for you to keep him from dying!to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found his ransom,’

25Please let his body be strong again; please allow him to be strong like he was when he was young!'then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth.

26If that happens, that person will pray to God, and God will accept him; he will enter God's presence joyfully, and then he will tell others how God saved him from dying.He prays to God and finds favor; he sees God’s face and shouts for joy, and God restores His righteousness to that man.

27He will sing as he says to everyone, 'I sinned, and I did things that were not right, but God did not punish me in the way that I deserved.Then he sings before men with these words: ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved.

28He has saved me from dying and going to the place where dead people are, and I will continue to enjoy being alive.'He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light.’

29God does all these things for us many times;Behold, all these things God does to a man, two or even three times,

30he preserves us from dying and going to the place where the dead are, in order that we can continue to enjoy being alive.to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.

31So Job, listen to me; do not say anything more; just allow me to speak.Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.

32After I speak, if you have something more that you want to say to me, say it, because I would like to find a way to declare that you are innocent.But if you have something to say, answer me; speak up, for I would like to vindicate you.

33However, if you have nothing more that you want to say, then just listen to me, and I will teach you how to become wise."But if not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Job 33

Elihu Rebukes Job

You’ve read Job 33

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Job 33

Elihu Rebukes Job

You’ve read Job 33

Go Deeper