Elihu Confronts Job
33 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 Almighty(B) gives me life.(C)
5 Refute me if you can.
Prepare(D) your case against me; take your stand.(E)
6 I am just like you before God;
I was also pinched off from a piece of clay.(F)
7 Fear(G) of me should not terrify you;
the pressure I exert[a] against you will be light.
8 Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
and I have heard these very[b] words:
9 “I am pure, without transgression;
I am clean and have no guilt.(H)
10 But He finds reasons to oppose me;
He regards me as His enemy.(I)
11 He puts my feet in the stocks;
He stands watch(J) over all my paths.”
12 But I tell you that you are wrong in this matter,
since God is greater than man.(K)
13 Why do you take(L) Him to court
for not answering anything a person asks?[c]
14 For God speaks time and again,
but a person may not notice it.
15 In a dream, a vision(M) in the night,
when deep sleep falls on people(N)
as they slumber on their beds,
16 He uncovers their ears(O) at that time
and terrifies them[d] with warnings,
17 in order to turn a person from his actions
and suppress his pride.[e]
18 God spares his soul from the Pit,(P)
his life from crossing the river of death.[f]
19 A person may be disciplined on his bed(Q) with pain
and constant distress in his bones,(R)
20 so that he detests bread,
and his soul despises his favorite food.(S)
21 His flesh wastes away to nothing,[g]
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(T) on his side,
one mediator out of a thousand,
to tell a person what is right for him[h]
24 and to be gracious to him and say,
“Spare him from going down to the Pit;
I have found a ransom,”(U)
25 then his flesh will be healthier[i] than in his youth,
and he will return to the days of his youthful vigor.(V)
26 He will pray to God, and God will delight in him.
That man will see His face(W) with a shout of joy,
and God will restore his righteousness to him.(X)
27 He will look at men and say,
“I have sinned and perverted what was right;
yet I did not get what I deserved.[j]
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.(Y)
31 Pay attention, Job, and listen to me.
Be quiet, and I will speak.
32 But if you have something to say,[k] 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.
Footnotes
- Job 33:7 Lit you; my pressure
- Job 33:8 Lit heard a sound of
- Job 33:13 Lit court, for He does not answer all his words
- Job 33:16 LXX; MT reads and seals
- Job 33:17 Lit and cover pride within a man
- Job 33:18 Or from perishing by the sword
- Job 33:21 Lit away from sight
- Job 33:23 Or to vouch for a person’s uprightness
- Job 33:25 Hb obscure
- Job 33:27 Lit and the same was not to me
- Job 33:32 Lit If there are words
Cross references
- 33:3 : 1Kg 9:4; Ps 25:21; 119:7
- 33:4 : Jb 27:2; 32:8; 35:13
- 33:4 : Gn 2:7; Jb 27:3; Is 30:33
- 33:5 : Jb 23:4; 32:14; 37:19
- 33:5 : 1Sm 17:16; Ps 2:2; Jr 46:4, 14
- 33:6 : Jb 4:19; 10:9; 13:12
- 33:7 : Jb 20:25; Ps 55:4; 88:15
- 33:9 : Jb 9:21; 11:4; 34:6
- 33:10 : Jb 13:24; 19:11; Lm 2:5
- 33:11 : Jb 10:14; 14:16; Ps 130:3
- 33:12 : Jb 4:17; 9:2; 15:14
- 33:13 : Jb 9:3; 13:19; 40:2
- 33:15 : Jb 4:13; 7:14; 20:8
- 33:15 : Gn 2:21; 15:12; Jb 4:13
- 33:16 : Jb 4:12; 13:1; 36:10, 15
- 33:18 : Jb 33:28, 30; 36:16; Ps 30:9
- 33:19 : Jb 7:13; Ps 41:3; Hs 7:14
- 33:19 : Jb 30:17; Ps 6:2; 38:3
- 33:20 : Jb 3:24; 6:7; Ps 102:4
- 33:23 : Ex 23:20, 23; Ps 34:7; Is 63:9
- 33:24 : Ex 30:12; Ps 49:7; Pr 21:18
- 33:25 : Dt 34:7; 2Kg 5:14; Jb 20:11
- 33:26 : Gn 33:10; Ps 11:7; 17:15
- 33:26 : Ps 23:3; 51:12; 1Jn 1:9
- 33:30 : Ps 56:13; Jn 1:4, 9