Job Chapter 33

            ¹ “But now, Job, listen to what I have to say;

                  hear me out.

            ² I’m opening my mouth now;

                  the tongue in my mouth is speaking.

            ³ What I’m saying expresses my uprightness;

                  my lips declare knowledge sincerely.

            ⁴ The Spirit of God has made me;

                  the breath of the Almighty gives me breath.

                  ⁵Answer me if you can;

                  state your case; take your stand.

            ⁶ I belong to God like you do;

                  I’ve been formed out of clay too.

            ⁷ I shouldn’t be a threat to you;

I won’t come down hard on you.                           Job 33:1-7

             ⁸“You’ve spoken where I could hear you;

                  I’ve heard what you said:

                        ⁹ ‘I’m pure, without sin,          

                              innocent, not guilty of anything.

                        ¹⁰ He invents pretexts against me

                              and considers me his enemy.

                        ¹¹ He puts my feet in stocks

                              and watches my paths.’                           

Job 33:8-11

            ¹² “Let me tell you, you’re not right in this,

                  because God is greater than you are.

            ¹³ Why do you complain

                  that he won’t account for everything he does?

            ¹⁴ God speaks in one way, maybe two;

                  though people don’t notice it—

            ¹⁵ in a dream, in a vision at night,

                  when people are sound asleep in bed.

            ¹⁶ Then he opens their ears and warns them,

                  ¹⁷ so he can turn them aside from doing wrong

                  and keep them from their pride.

            ¹⁸ He holds them back from the Pit

                  and their lives from death by the sword.             

Job 33:12-18

            ¹⁹ “God disciplines people with pain on their beds,

                        with constant aching in their bones;

                  ²⁰ so they lose their appetites

                        and even their favorite food disgusts them.   

                  ²¹ Their bodies waste away,

                        and their bones show.

            ²² Then they draw near the Pit;

                  they come close to the angels that bring death.  

Job 33:19-22

            ²³ “If there’s an angel to mediate for some people—

                        one out of a thousand—

                        to say what’s right about them,

                  ²⁴ then let him be gracious to them and say,

                        ‘Deliver them from the Pit;

                        I’ve found a ransom for these lives.’

            ²⁵ Let their bodies become fresh with youth

                  and return to their youthful vigor.

            ²⁶ Then they’ll pray to God, and he’ll accept them

                  so they can see his face with joy

                  and restore their good standing.

            ²⁷ They’ll sing to other people and say,

                        ‘I sinned and perverted what’s right,

                        but he didn’t hold it against me.

                  ²⁸ He’s rescued me from the Pit,

                        and I’ll see the light.’                                    

Job 33:23-28

            ²⁹ “God does these things more than once for people;

            ³⁰ he brings them back from the Pit

                  so they can see the light of life.

            ³¹ Pay attention, Job; listen;

                  keep quiet and let me talk.

            ³² Then if you have anything to say, you can answer me,

                  because I want to see you justified.

            ³³ If not, listen, and I’ll teach you wisdom.”              

Job 33:29-33