Chapter 33

¹Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear mine utterances, and hearken to all my words. ²Behold now, I have opened my mouth, my tongue speaketh in my palate, ³My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart, and my lips shall utter knowledge purely. ⁴The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. ⁵If thou canst, answer me; array [thy words] before me: take thy stand. ⁶Behold, before God I am as thou; I also am formed out of the clay. ⁷Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, nor my burden be heavy upon thee. ⁸Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of [thy] words: -- ⁹I am clean without transgression; I am pure, and there is no iniquity in me; ¹⁰Lo, he findeth occasions of hostility against me, he counteth me for his enemy; ¹¹He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths. ¹²Behold, I will answer thee in this, thou art not right; for +God is greater than man. ¹³Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters. ¹⁴For God speaketh once, and twice, -- [and man] perceiveth it not -- ¹⁵In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; ¹⁶Then he openeth men`s ears, and sealeth their instruction, ¹⁷That he may withdraw man [from his] work, and hide pride from man. ¹⁸He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from passing away by the sword. ¹⁹He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and with constant strife in his bones; ²⁰And his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty food; ²¹His flesh is consumed away from view, and his bones that were not seen stick out; ²²And his soul draweth near to the pit, and his life to the destroyers. ²³If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his duty; ²⁴Then he will be gracious unto him, and say, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. ²⁵His flesh shall be fresher than in childhood; he shall return to the days of his youth. ²⁶He shall pray unto +God, and he will receive him with favour; and he shall see his face with shoutings, and he will render unto man his righteousness. ²⁷He will sing before men, and say, I have sinned, and perverted what was right, and it hath not been requited to me; ²⁸He hath delivered my soul from going into the pit, and my life shall see the light. ²⁹Lo, all these [things] worketh God twice, thrice, with man, ³⁰To bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of the living. ³¹Mark well, Job, hearken unto me; be silent, and I will speak. ³²If thou hast anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify thee. ³³If not, hearken thou unto me; be silent, and I will teach thee wisdom.