Chapter 33

¹Hear therefore, O Job, my speeches, and hearken to all my words. ²Behold now I have opened my mouth, let my tongue speak within my jaws. ³My words are from my upright heart, and my lips shall speak a pure sentence. ⁴The spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Almighty gave me life. ⁵If thou canst, answer me, and stand up against my face. ⁶Behold God hath made me as well as thee, and of the same clay I also was formed. ⁷But yet let not my wonder terrify thee, and let not my eloquence be burdensome to thee. ⁸Now thou has said in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words : ⁹I am clean, and without sin : I am unspotted, and there is no iniquity in me. ¹⁰Because he hath found complaints against me, therefore he hath counted me for his enemy. ¹¹He hath put my feet in the stocks, he hath observed all my paths. ¹²Now this is the thing in which thou art not justified : I will answer thee, that God is greater than man. ¹³Dost thou strive against him, because he hath not answered thee to all words? ¹⁴God speaketh once, and repeateth not the selfsame thing the second time. ¹⁵By a dream in a vision by night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, and they are sleeping in their beds : ¹⁶Then he openeth the ears of men, and teaching instructeth them in what they are to learn. ¹⁷That he may withdraw a man from the things he is doing, and may deliver him from pride. ¹⁸Rescuing his soul from corruption : and his life from passing to the sword. ¹⁹He rebuketh also by sorrow in the bed, and he maketh all his bones to wither. ²⁰Bread becometh abominable to him in his life, and to his soul the meat which before he desired. ²¹His flesh shall be consumed away, and his bones that were covered shall be made bare. ²²His soul hath drawn near to corruption, and his life to the destroyers. ²³If there shall be an angel speaking for him, one among thousands, to declare man's uprightness, ²⁴He shall have mercy on him, and shall say : Deliver him, that he may not go down to corruption : I have found wherein I may be merciful to him. ²⁵His flesh is consumed with punishment, let him return to the days of his youth. ²⁶He shall pray to God, and he will be gracious to him : and he shall see his face with joy, and he will render to man his justice. ²⁷He shall look upon men, and shall say : I have sinned, and indeed I have offended, and I have not received what I have deserved. ²⁸He hath delivered his soul from going into destruction, that it may live and see the light. ²⁹Behold, all these things God worketh three times within every one. ³⁰That he may withdraw their souls from corruption, and enlighten them with the light of the living. ³¹Attend, Job, and hearken to me : and hold thy peace, whilst I speak. ³²But if thou hast any thing to say, answer me, speak : for I would have thee to appear just. ³³And if thou have not, hear me : hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.