1 Now listen to me, Job. Pay attention to everything I have to say. 2 Look, I'm about to speak; my mouth is ready to talk. 3 My words come from my upright heart; my lips speak sincerely of what I know. 4 The spirit of God made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. 5 Answer me, if you can. Stand in front of me and prepare to defend yourself. 6 Look, before God we are both the same. I was also made from a piece of clay. 7 See here, you don't need to be frightened of me. I won't be too hard on you.* Literally, “My hand will not be heavy upon you.” 8 You spoke in my hearing and I have listened to everything you had to say. 9 You say, ‘I'm clean, I've done nothing wrong; I'm pure, I have not sinned. 10 See how God finds fault with me and treats me as his enemy. 11 He puts my feet in the stocks and watches everything I do.’ 12 But look, you are wrong—let me explain. God is greater than any human being. 13 Why are you fighting against him, complaining that God isn't answering your questions? 14 God speaks over and over again,† Literally, “once, and twice,” but this is number parallelism which indicates an increasing number. but people don't notice. 15 Through dreams and visions in the night, when people fall into deep sleep, resting on their beds, 16 God speaks to them with solemn warnings‡ Or “terrifies them with warnings.” 17 to turn them away from doing wrong and to stop them from becoming proud. 18 He saves them from the grave and spares them from violent death. 19 People are also disciplined on a bed of pain with constant aching in their bones. 20 They have no desire to eat; they do not even want their favorite dishes. 21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing; all that's left is skin and bones. 22 They are close to death;§ Literally, “the pit.” their lives approaching the executioner.* Literally, “the destroyers,” which could refer to the angels of death or terminal diseases.

23 But if an angel appears, a mediator, one of God's thousands of angels, to tell someone the right way for them, 24 he will be gracious to them. He will say, ‘Save them from going down into the grave, for I have found a way to free them.’† Or “for I have found a ransom.” 25 Then their bodies will be renewed as if they were young again; they will be as strong as when they were in their prime. 26 They will pray to God, and he will accept them; they come into God's presence with joy, and he will set things right for them. 27 They sing, and tell others, ‘I sinned, I distorted what is right, but it did not do me any good.‡ Or “but I was not paid back (punished) as I deserved.” 28 He saved me from going down into the grave and I will live in the light.’ 29 Look, God does this time and again§ Literally, “twice, three times.” for people; 30 he saves them from the grave so they might see the light of life.

31 Pay attention Job, and listen to me! Be quiet—let me speak! 32 But if you have anything to say, then speak up. 33 If not, listen to me. Keep quiet and I will teach you wisdom.”