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Elihu continues to speak

33 ‘But now, Job, listen to the things that I will tell you.
    Listen carefully to everything that I will say.
I will speak to you now.
    I am ready to tell you what I think.
I am an honest man, so you can believe what I say.
    I will tell you what I know is true.
The Spirit of Almighty God has made me.
    His breath gives me life.
Answer me now, Job, if you can.
    Prepare yourself.
    Be ready to explain your problem to me.
Listen! When God looks at us,
    we are the same as each other.
    God used clay to make both of us.
So you should not be afraid of me.
    I will not do anything to hurt you.

I have heard the things that you have said, Job.
    This is what I heard you say:
“I am not guilty. I have not done anything that is wrong.
    I am pure and clean.
10 But God has decided to punish me!
    He attacks me as if I am his enemy.
11 He has tied my feet with chains.
    He always watches me to see where I go.”

12 But now I tell you this, Job: You are not right!
    God is greater than any human.
13 So you should not argue against him.
You should not say,
    “God does not answer any of my questions.”
14 God does speak to people.
    He speaks to them in many different ways.
    But often people do not recognize his voice.
15 Sometimes God speaks to people in dreams and visions.
    He speaks to them at night, while they sleep in bed.
16 He tells them about things that will happen.
He warns them about terrible things,
    so that they are afraid.
17 He tells them to turn away from their sins.
    He tells them not to be proud.
18 He keeps people safe from death,
    so that they do not go to their graves.
19 Or God may warn people with a painful illness.
    He may make their bodies hurt all the time.
20 Then they do not want to eat anything.
    They cannot eat even the best food.
21 Their bodies become very thin.
    People can even see their bones.
22 They will soon die and go to their graves.
    Death is waiting to take them away.

23 But perhaps an angel may come
    to help one of those people.
He may speak on behalf of God,
    as a special angel among the many thousands of God's angels.
The angel may tell that person
    how to live in a way that is right.
24 Then God will be kind to that person.
God will say, “Save that person,
    so that he does not go to his grave.
I have found someone to pay the price for his life.
    So keep him alive.”
25 Then that person's body will become healthy again.
    He will be strong, like a young man.
26 When he prays to God,
    God will be happy to answer him.
He will again worship God with joy.
    And God will give him a good way of life again.
27 That person will say clearly to everyone,
    “I did things that were not right.
I did wrong things,
    but God did not punish me as I deserved.
28 God rescued me from death,
    so that I did not go to my grave.
Now I will enjoy life in the light.”

29 God does all these things for people.
    He does them many times.
30 He saves a person from death,
    so that he does not go to his grave.
He gives light to that person,
    so that he may enjoy his life.
31 Job, listen carefully to me.
    Be quiet, and I will speak to you.
32 After that, you may answer me,
    if you have something to say.
If I could say that you have not done anything wrong,
    that would make me happy.
33 But if you have nothing to say,
    then listen to me.
Be quiet and I will teach you how to be wise.’

33 “But now, Job, listen(A) to my words;
    pay attention to everything I say.(B)
I am about to open my mouth;
    my words are on the tip of my tongue.
My words come from an upright heart;(C)
    my lips sincerely speak what I know.(D)
The Spirit(E) of God has made me;(F)
    the breath of the Almighty(G) gives me life.(H)
Answer me(I) then, if you can;
    stand up(J) and argue your case before me.(K)
I am the same as you in God’s sight;(L)
    I too am a piece of clay.(M)
No fear of me should alarm you,
    nor should my hand be heavy on you.(N)

“But you have said in my hearing—
    I heard the very words—
‘I am pure,(O) I have done no wrong;(P)
    I am clean and free from sin.(Q)
10 Yet God has found fault with me;
    he considers me his enemy.(R)
11 He fastens my feet in shackles;(S)
    he keeps close watch on all my paths.’(T)

12 “But I tell you, in this you are not right,
    for God is greater than any mortal.(U)
13 Why do you complain to him(V)
    that he responds to no one’s words[a]?(W)
14 For God does speak(X)—now one way, now another(Y)
    though no one perceives it.(Z)
15 In a dream,(AA) in a vision(AB) of the night,(AC)
    when deep sleep(AD) falls on people
    as they slumber in their beds,
16 he may speak(AE) in their ears
    and terrify them(AF) with warnings,(AG)
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
    and keep them from pride,(AH)
18 to preserve them from the pit,(AI)
    their lives from perishing by the sword.[b](AJ)

19 “Or someone may be chastened(AK) on a bed of pain(AL)
    with constant distress in their bones,(AM)
20 so that their body finds food(AN) repulsive
    and their soul loathes the choicest meal.(AO)
21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing,
    and their bones,(AP) once hidden, now stick out.(AQ)
22 They draw near to the pit,(AR)
    and their life to the messengers of death.[c](AS)
23 Yet if there is an angel at their side,
    a messenger,(AT) one out of a thousand,
    sent to tell them how to be upright,(AU)
24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God,
    ‘Spare them from going down to the pit;(AV)
    I have found a ransom for them(AW)
25 let their flesh be renewed(AX) like a child’s;
    let them be restored as in the days of their youth’(AY)
26 then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,(AZ)
    they will see God’s face and shout for joy;(BA)
    he will restore them to full well-being.(BB)
27 And they will go to others and say,
    ‘I have sinned,(BC) I have perverted what is right,(BD)
    but I did not get what I deserved.(BE)
28 God has delivered(BF) me from going down to the pit,(BG)
    and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’(BH)

29 “God does all these things to a person(BI)
    twice, even three times(BJ)
30 to turn them back(BK) from the pit,(BL)
    that the light of life(BM) may shine on them.(BN)

31 “Pay attention, Job, and listen(BO) to me;(BP)
    be silent,(BQ) and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;(BR)
    speak up, for I want to vindicate you.(BS)
33 But if not, then listen to me;(BT)
    be silent,(BU) and I will teach you wisdom.(BV)

Footnotes

  1. Job 33:13 Or that he does not answer for any of his actions
  2. Job 33:18 Or from crossing the river
  3. Job 33:22 Or to the place of the dead