Job 33 — The Holy Bible

Elihu Claims He Speaks for God

“Nevertheless, hear my words, Job,

And pay close attention to what I say.

For behold, I have opened my mouth

And my tongue has spoken.

By my words, my heart shall be found pure;

And the understanding of my lips will think pure thoughts.

The divine Spirit has made me,

And the breath of the Almighty is that which teaches me.

Give me an answer to these things if you can.

Endure and stand firm against me, and I against you.

You and I were formed out of the clay;

Thus, we have been formed out of the same substance.

My fear will not distract you,

Neither shall my hand be heavy on you.

“However you said in my hearing

(I heard the voice of your words),

For you say, ‘I am pure, for I have not sinned.

I am blameless, for I have not acted lawlessly.

Yet He has found a charge against me;

He has counted me as His enemy.

He has put my feet in the stocks,

And He watches all my paths.’

“For how can you say,

‘I am righteous, yet He has not listened to me’?

For He that is above mortals is eternal.

But you say, ‘Why has He not heard every word of my cause?’

For when the Lord speaks once,

Or in another time in a dream,

Or in a meditation of the night

(As when dreadful fear falls upon men

While slumbering on their bed),

Then He unveils the hearts of men

And frightens them with such fearful visions

So as to turn man from his wrongdoing;

Thus He delivers his body from a fall.

He keeps back his soul from death

And does not allow him to fall in war.

“Again He also chastens him with sickness on his bed,

And the multitude of his bones grow numb.

He is not able to receive any food,

Though his soul may long for it,

Until his flesh wastes away

And he shows his bones bare.

His soul also draws near to death

And his life to Hades.

“If there are a thousand death-bringing messengers,

None of them shall wound him.

If he purposes in his heart to turn to the Lord,

And declares to man his fault, and shows his folly,

He will support him, that he might not fall into death;

And He will renew his body like fresh plaster upon a wall,

And fill his bones with marrow.

He will make his flesh young like a child's

And restore him among men in full manhood.

He shall pray to the Lord, and his prayer shall be accepted.

He shall come to prayer with an innocent face

And with an utterance of thanksgiving,

For He will restore righteousness to men.

Even then, a man shall blame himself, saying,

‘I am to blame because of what I did,

Yet He has not examined my guilt

To the extent of my unworthiness.’

Save my soul from going down to corruption,

So my life shall see the light.

“Behold all these things:

The Mighty One works three ways with a man.

But He has delivered my soul from death

That my life may praise Him in the light.

“Give ear, Job; listen to me;

Hold your peace, and I will speak.

If you have anything to say, answer me;

Speak, for I desire you to be declared as righteous.

If not, listen to me;

Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”