Job 33

‘Job, you must listen to me.

You must remember everything I say.

₂I open my mouth and I am ready to speak.

₃I will be very honest,

and I will say it clearly so that you can understand.

₄The Spirit of God made me.

He gave me life and made me breathe.

₅Job, you must answer me if you can,

and think about what you want to say

before you start speaking.

₆When we stand in front of God,

I am the same as you.

He also made me from clay.

₇You don't have to be afraid of me.

I will not be hard on you

or make it difficult for you.

₈I have listened carefully to everything

that you have said, and I remember all your words.

₉You said: “I am innocent.

I have done nothing wrong.

My hands are pure, and I have not sinned.

₁₀But God says that I have

done wrong. He is my enemy.

₁₁He has put my feet in blocks,

and He looks at everything that I do.”

₁₂But Job, I am telling you

that you are wrong when you say this

because God is far greater than people,

and we can not argue with Him.

₁₃Why do you accuse God?

Why do you say that He

does not want to answer you?

₁₄Because God speaks a lot,

and He speaks to us in different ways,

but we don't understand or listen to Him.

₁₅God speaks to us in the night

while we are sleeping.

He shows us things when we dream.

₁₆He tells us clearly what He wants.

He warns us and we become afraid.

₁₇He wants us to stop doing wrong

and to stop being proud.

₁₈God does this to save us from death,

because He does not want us to die.

₁₉He punishes some people

and makes them sick.

Their pain goes on and never stops.

₂₀Some of them have so much pain

that they don't want to eat any food,

and even the best food makes them sick.

₂₁Their bodies becomes so thin

that there is almost nothing left,

and you can see the bones in their bodies.

₂₂It will not be long before they die.

They are near their graves.

₂₃But if one of the messengers_from_heaven

should come to one of them,

and the messenger prays for that man

and tells him what he must do,

₂₄and if the messenger feels sorry for him

and prays and says: “Lord, please,

don't cause him to die. I will redeem him.”

₂₅Then that man will become young,

and his body will get new strength.

₂₆He will pray to God

and God will do what he asks.

He will serve God and rejoice

and God will make him righteous

and be good to him.

₂₇That man will sing to his friends

and say: “I have sinned,

and I have not done what is right,

but God did not punish me.

₂₈He saved me. I should have died

but I am still_alive.”

₂₉Listen to me: This is what God does

to people. He does it again and again.

₃₀God saves people from death.

He gives them life

and shines his light on them.

₃₁Job, you must listen carefully

to what I am saying.

Keep quiet so that I can speak.

₃₂But if you want to say something,

tell me now, and say what you want to say

because I would like to show them

that you are innocent.

₃₃If you have nothing to say,

then listen to me and keep quiet

so that I can teach you wisdom.’