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Job 33
EasyEnglish Bible
Job 33
EasyEnglish Bible
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.
2 I will speak to you now.
I am ready to tell you what I think.
3 I am an honest man, so you can believe what I say.
I will tell you what I know is true.
4 The Spirit of Almighty God has made me.
His breath gives me life.
5 Answer me now, Job, if you can.
Prepare yourself.
Be ready to explain your problem to me.
6 Listen! When God looks at us,
we are the same as each other.
God used clay to make both of us.
7 So you should not be afraid of me.
I will not do anything to hurt you.
8 I have heard the things that you have said, Job.
This is what I heard you say:
9 “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.’
Job 33
International Standard Version
Job 33
International Standard Version
Elihu Begins His Discourse
33 “Now please listen to what I have to say, Job.
Listen to every word!
2 Look! I’ve begun to speak,[a]
and I’m fashioning my words.[b]
3 I speak from the innocence[c] of my heart;
and my lips will utter what I sincerely know.
4 “The spirit of God fashioned me;
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 Answer me, if you can!
Present your case! Take your stand in my presence!
6 Look! As far as God is concerned,[d] I’m just like you are—
I, too, have been pinched off from a piece of clay.
7 Don’t be afraid of me;
I’ll go easy[e] on you.”
Elihu Reviews Job’s Claim for Innocence
8 “You spoke clearly so I could hear;
I’ve heard what you’ve said:
9 ‘I’m pure. I’m without sin;
I’m innocent. I’m harboring no iniquity inside of me.
10 Nevertheless, God[f] has found a pretext to attack me;
he considers me his enemy.
11 He has bound my feet in shackles,
and keeps watching everything I do.’”[g]
God Responds to Humanity’s Need
12 “You aren’t right about this;
My response is that God is greater than human beings.
13 Why are you arguing with him?
He doesn’t have to give explanations for what he does to you!
14 “God speaks time and time again[h]—
but nobody notices—
15 in a dream or night vision,
when a deep sleep falls on mankind
while they sleep on their beds.
16 That’s when he opens the ear of mankind,
authenticating his messages[i] to them,
17 turning a person from his actions,
keeping him[j] from pride,
18 sparing his soul from the Pit[k]
and his life from violent death.[l]
19 “He is being reproved by painful bed rest,
with continual aching in his bones.
20 He cannot stand his food,
and he[m] has no desire for appetizing food.
21 His flesh wastes away;
his bones, which once couldn’t be seen, are visible.
22 His soul is getting close to the Pit;[n]
his life is approaching its executioner.”
God Delivers through His Ransom
23 “If there’s a messenger[o] appointed to mediate for Job[p]
—one out of a thousand—
to represent the man’s integrity on his behalf,
24 to show favor to him and to plead,
‘Deliver him from having to go down to the Pit[q]—
I know where his ransom is!’
25 Let his flesh be rejuvenated[r] as he was in his youth!
Let him recover the strength of his youth.
26 Let him pray to God
and he will accept him;
he will appear before him with joyful shouts!”
The Song of the Ransomed
27 “He’ll sing to mankind with these words:
‘I’ve sinned. I have twisted what is right.
Yet he has not repaid me like I deserve.[s]
28 He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit;[t]
my life will see the light.’
29 Indeed God does all these things
again and again[u] with a person
30 to bring back his soul from the Pit;[v]
to light him with the light of life.”
Elihu Invites Job to Respond
31 “Job, pay attention! Listen to me!
Be silent and let me speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
speak up, because I’d be happy to vindicate you.
33 But if you have nothing to say, then at least listen to me!
Be quiet and learn some wisdom from me.”
Footnotes
- Job 33:2 Lit. I’ve opened my mouth
- Job 33:2 Lit. and my tongue speaks in my mouth
- Job 33:3 Or integrity
- Job 33:6 Lit. Look! Before God
- Job 33:7 Lit. my hand won’t be heavy
- Job 33:10 Lit. he
- Job 33:11 Lit. watching all my paths
- Job 33:14 Lit. speaks once and twice
- Job 33:16 Lit. mankind, sealing his instruction
- Job 33:17 Lit. man
- Job 33:18 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
- Job 33:18 Lit. from death by the sword
- Job 33:20 Lit. his soul
- Job 33:22 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
- Job 33:23 Or an angel
- Job 33:23 Lit. him
- Job 33:24 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
- Job 33:25 Lit. grew fresh
- Job 33:27 The Heb. lacks like I deserve
- Job 33:28 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
- Job 33:29 Lit. things twice, three times
- Job 33:30 I.e. the realm of punishment in the afterlife
Job 33
New International Version
Job 33
New International Version
33 “But now, Job, listen(A) to my words;
pay attention to everything I say.(B)
2 I am about to open my mouth;
my words are on the tip of my tongue.
3 My words come from an upright heart;(C)
my lips sincerely speak what I know.(D)
4 The Spirit(E) of God has made me;(F)
the breath of the Almighty(G) gives me life.(H)
5 Answer me(I) then, if you can;
stand up(J) and argue your case before me.(K)
6 I am the same as you in God’s sight;(L)
I too am a piece of clay.(M)
7 No fear of me should alarm you,
nor should my hand be heavy on you.(N)
8 “But you have said in my hearing—
I heard the very words—
9 ‘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)
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