Job 33

Berean Standard Bible

Chapter summary

Elihu asks Job to listen to his words, stating that he is formed from clay like Job and that God’s Spirit made him. He recalls Job's previous complaints that he is pure while God treats him as an enemy and watches his paths. Elihu argues that God is greater than man and speaks through dreams, night visions, and physical pain to turn people away from wrongdoing and pride. He explains that if a mediator intervenes with a ransom, God restores the person's health, accepts his prayer, and redeems his soul from the Pit. Finally, Elihu tells Job to either answer him or remain silent while he teaches him wisdom.

Summary automatically generated from the Bible text.

Words of Jesus in red

¹“But now, O Job, hear my speech, and listen to all my words. ²Behold, I will open my mouth; my address is on the tip of my tongue. ³My words are from an upright heart, and my lips speak sincerely what I know. ⁴The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. ⁵Refute me if you can; prepare your case and confront me. ⁶I am just like you before God; I was also formed from clay. ⁷Surely no fear of me should terrify you; nor will my hand be heavy upon you. ⁸Surely you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard these very words: ⁹‘I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, with no iniquity in me. ¹⁰Yet God finds occasions against me; He counts me as His enemy. ¹¹He puts my feet in the stocks; He watches over all my paths.’ ¹²Behold, you are not right in this matter. I will answer you, for God is greater than man. ¹³Why do you complain to Him that He answers nothing a man asks? ¹⁴For God speaks in one way and in another, yet no one notices. ¹⁵In a dream, in a vision in the night, when deep sleep falls upon men as they slumber on their beds, ¹⁶He opens their ears and terrifies them with warnings ¹⁷to turn a man from wrongdoing and keep him from pride, ¹⁸to preserve his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword. ¹⁹A man is also chastened on his bed with pain and constant distress in his bones, ²⁰so that he detests his bread, and his soul loathes his favorite food. ²¹His flesh wastes away from sight, and his hidden bones protrude. ²²He draws near to the Pit, and his life to the messengers of death. ²³Yet if there is a messenger on his side, one mediator in a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him, ²⁴to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the Pit; I have found his ransom,’ ²⁵then his flesh is refreshed like a child’s; 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. ²⁷Then he sings before men with these words: ‘I have sinned and perverted what was right; yet I did not get what I deserved. ²⁸He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light.’ ²⁹Behold, all these things God does to a man, two or even three times, ³⁰to bring back his soul from the Pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life. ³¹Pay attention, Job, and 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. ³³But if not, then listen to me; be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”

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Louis Segond 1910 and Berean Standard Bible: public domain. Cross references: open-cross-ref, Creative Commons BY 4.0.