1 “But now, Job, listen to my words and give ear to everything I say.
2 See now, I open my mouth; my tongue in my mouth speaks.
3 My words are from my upright heart; my lips speak sincerely what they know.
4 “The Ruach of God has made me; the breath of Shaddai gives me life.
5 Answer me, if you can; array yourselves before me; take your stand!
6 Look, I am the same as you before God; I too am formed from clay.
7 See, no fear of me should terrify you, nor should my pressure be heavy on you.
8 “Indeed, you have said in my hearing, —I heard the sound of the words:
9 ‘I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent, without iniquity.
10 Yet, He has found fault with me; He considers me His enemy.
11 He puts my feet in the shackles; He watches closely all my paths.’
12 “But in this, you are not right— I answer you, for God is greater than a mortal.
13 Why do you contend against Him that He does not answer all His words.
14 Indeed, God speaks once, even twice, yet no one perceives it.
15 “In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, as they slumber in bed,
16 Then He opens the ears of men and seals their instruction,
17 in order to turn a man from his conduct and to cover a person’s pride.
18 He spares his soul from the Pit and his life from perishing by the sword.
19 Or a person is chastened with pain on his bed, with continual strife in his bones,
20 so that his life loathes bread, and his soul, desirable food.
21 His flesh wastes away from sight, and his bones, once unseen, now stick out.
22 His soul draws near to the Pit and his life to the messengers of death.
23 “If there is an angel beside him, a messenger, one out of a thousand, to declare to a man his uprightness,
24 then He is gracious to him, and says ‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit— I have found a ransom;’
25 let his flesh be restored like a child’s; let him return to the days of his youth.’
26 He entreats God and is accepted by Him; he sees His face with a shout of joy; He restores to the man his righteousness.
27 He sings to others, saying, ‘I have sinned and perverted what is right, but I did not get what I deserved.
28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and my life sees the light.’
29 “Indeed, God does all these things, twice, even three times with a man,
30 to bring his soul back from the Pit, that he may be illuminated with the light of life.
31 Pay attention, Job, listen to me; Be silent, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me. Speak, for I want to justify you.
33 If not, then listen to me. Be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”