1“But now, O Job, hear my speech,
and listen to all my words.
1“ But, please, O Job, hear my speech, and give ear to all my words.
2Behold, I will open my mouth;
my address is on the tip of my tongue.
2Behold now, I open my mouth; my tongue speaks in my palate.
3My words are from an upright heart,
and my lips speak sincerely what I know.
3From the straightness of my heart are my words, and my lips, being pure, speak knowledge.
4The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
4The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of Shaddai gives me life.
5Refute me if you can;
prepare your case and confront me.
5If you are able to refute me, arrange it before my face; station yourself.
6I am just like you before God;
I was also formed from clay.
6Behold, I am according to your mouth before God; from clay I also have been formed.
7Surely no fear of me should terrify you;
nor will my hand be heavy upon you.
7Behold, my terror should not frighten you; and my hand on you shall not be heavy.
8Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
and I have heard these very words:
8Surely you have spoken in my ears, and the sound of the words I have heard.
9‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am clean, with no iniquity in me.
9‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, and no iniquity is in me.
10Yet God finds occasions against me;
He counts me as His enemy.
10Behold, He finds occasions against me; He reckons me as an enemy to Him.
11He puts my feet in the stocks;
He watches over all my paths.’
11He puts my feet into the shackles; He watches all my paths.’
12Behold, you are not right in this matter.
I will answer you, for God is greater than man.
12Behold, in this you are not right; I will answer you, for God is greater than man.
13Why do you complain to Him
that He answers nothing a man asks?a
13Why do you contend against Him, for all words He does not answer?
14For God speaks in one way and in another,
yet no one notices.
14For once God speaks, and twice—one does not perceive it.
15In a dream,
in a vision in the night,
when deep sleep falls upon men
as they slumber on their beds,
15In a dream, a vision of the night, in the falling of deep sleep upon men, in slumbers upon a bed,
16He opens their ears
and terrifies them with warnings
16then He uncovers the ear of men, and with correction He seals them,
17to turn a man from wrongdoing
and keep him from pride,
17to turn aside a man from his doing, and to conceal pride from a man.
18to preserve his soul from the Pit
and his life from perishing by the sword.
18He holds back his soul from the Pit, and his life from crossing over by a weapon.
19A man is also chastened on his bed
with pain and constant distress in his bones,
19And he is churried with pain on his bed, and strife in his bones is continual,
20so that he detests his bread,
and his soul loathes his favorite food.
20and his life abhors bread, and his soul food of desire.
21His flesh wastes away from sight,
and his hidden bones protrude.
21His flesh is consumed from sight, and his bones that were not seen are laid bare.
22He draws near to the Pit,
and his life to the messengers of death.
22And his soul draws near to the pit, and his life to those causing death.
23Yet if there is a messenger on his side,
one mediator in a thousand,
to tell a man what is right for him,
23If there is a messenger for him, a mediator, one among a thousand, to declare to man his uprightness,
24to be gracious to him and say,
‘Spare him from going down to the Pit;
I have found his ransom,’
24and shows him favor and says, ‘Spare him from going down into the Pit; I have found a ransom,’
25then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s;
he returns to the days of his youth.
25then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s, and he returns to the days of his youth.
26He prays to God and finds favor;
he sees God’s face and shouts for joy,
and God restores His righteousness
to that man.
26He prays to God, and He shows him favor; and he sees His face with a shout of joy, and He restores to the man His righteousness.
27Then he sings beforea men
with these words:
‘I have sinned and perverted what was right;
yet I did not get what I deserved.
27Then he shall sing before men and say, ‘I have sinned, and have twisted uprightness, and He did not requite it of me.
28He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit,
and I will live to see the light.’
28He has ransomed my soul from going down to the Pit, and my life shall look on the light.’
29Behold, all these things God does to a man,
two or even three times,
29Behold, all these things God does two or three times with a man,
30to bring back his soul from the Pit,
that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
30to bring back his soul from the Pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.
31Pay attention, Job, and listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
31Pay attention, O Job; listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.
32But if you have something to say, answer me;
speak up, for I would like to vindicate you.
32If there are words, answer me; speak, for I delight to prove you right.
33But if not, then listen to me;
be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”
33If not, then you must listen to me; keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”