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v1
“But now, please hear my speeches, ^[Or “my sentences,” or “what I have to say”] Job, and hear ^[Or “give ear to”] all my words.
v2
Please look, I open my mouth; my tongue in my mouth speaks.
v3
My words declare my heart’s uprightness, and my lips sincerely speak what my lips know. ^[Literally “the knowledge of my lips”]
v4
The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of Shaddai gives life to me.
v5
“If you are able, answer me. Present your argument before me; ^[Literally “to the face of me”] take your stand.
v6
Look, before God I am like you; ^[Literally “I am like your mouth”] I myself was also formed from clay.
v7
Look, dread of me should not terrify you, and my hand will not be heavy upon you.
v8
“Surely you have spoken in my ears, and I have heard the sound of your words: ^[Or “sentences,” or “what you say”]
v9
‘I am clean, without transgression; I am pure, and there is no guilt in me.
v10
Look, he finds fault against me; he reckons me as his enemy;
v11
he puts my feet in the block; he watches all my paths.‘
v12
“Look, in this you are not right—I will answer you: Indeed, God is greater than a human being.
v13
Why do you contend against him, that he will not answer all a person’s words?
v14
Indeed, God speaks in one way, even ^[Hebrew “and”] in two, ^[Or “time and again” (NJPS, HCSB)] yet someone does not perceive it.
v15
“In a dream, a vision of the night, when a deep sleep falls on men slumbering on their bed,
v16
then he opens the ear of men, and he frightens them with a warning ^[Literally “with their warning he frightens”]
v17
to turn human beings aside from their deeds, and he keeps man from pride.
v18
He spares his life from the pit and his life from passing over the river of death.
v19
“And he is reproved with pain on his bed, even ^[Hebrew “and”] with the strife of his bones continually,
v20
so that ^[Hebrew “and”] his life loathes bread, and his inner self ^[Or “soul”] loathes appetizing food. ^[Literally “food of desire”]
v21
His flesh is wasted away from sight, and his bones, which are invisible, are bared.
v22
And he ^[Literally “his inner self/soul”] draws near to the pit and his life to the killers.
v23
“If there is a messenger beside him, a mediator, one of a thousand, ^[That is, “unique,” or “one of a kind”] to declare to a human being his uprightness
v24
so that ^[Hebrew “and”] he is gracious to him, and he says, ‘Deliver him from descending into the pit; I have found a ransom.‘
v25
His flesh is renewed with his youth; he returns to the days of his youthful strength.
v26
He prays to God, then he accepts him, and he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he repays to the human being his righteousness.
v27
“He will sing to men, and he will say, ‘I have sinned and have perverted what is right, and it was not paid back to me.
v28
He redeemed my life from going down into the pit, so ^[Hebrew “and”] I will enjoy the light.’ ^[Literally “my life in the light will see”]
v29
Look, God does all these things twice, three times ^[Or “time and again,” or “oftentimes” (NASB, NASU), or “several times”] with a person
v30
to bring his life back from the pit so that he may enjoy the light of life. ^[Literally “to be lighted with the light of the life”]
v31
“Listen attentively, Job; listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.
v32
If you have anything to say, ^[Literally “If there are words,” or “If there are sentences”] answer me; ^[Literally “return to me”] speak, for I desire to justify you. ^[Literally “your righteousness”]
v33
If not, you listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”