33:1 ‘But now, hear my speech, O Job, and listen to all my words.
33:2 See, I open my mouth; the tongue in my mouth speaks.
33:3 My words declare the uprightness of my heart, and what my lips know they speak sincerely.
33:4 The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
33:5 Answer me, if you can; set your words in order before me; take your stand.
33:6 See, before God I am as you are; I too was formed from a piece of clay.
33:7 No fear of me need terrify you; my pressure will not be heavy on you.
33:8 ‘Surely, you have spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the sound of your words.
33:9 You say, “I am clean, without transgression; I am pure, and there is no iniquity in me.
33:10 Look, he finds occasions against me, he counts me as his enemy;
33:11 he puts my feet in the stocks, and watches all my paths.”
33:12 ‘But in this you are not right. I will answer you: God is greater than any mortal.
33:13 Why do you contend against him, saying, “He will answer none of my words”?
33:14 For God speaks in one way, and in two, though people do not perceive it.
33:15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on mortals, while they slumber on their beds,
33:16 then he opens their ears, and terrifies them with warnings,
33:17 that he may turn them aside from their deeds, and keep them from pride,
33:18 to spare their souls from the Pit, their lives from traversing the River.
33:19 They are also chastened with pain upon their beds, and with continual strife in their bones,
33:20 so that their lives loathe bread, and their appetites dainty food.
33:21 Their flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen; and their bones, once invisible, now stick out.
33:22 Their souls draw near the Pit, and their lives to those who bring death.
33:23 Then, if there should be for one of them an angel, a mediator, one of a thousand, one who declares a person upright,
33:24 and he is gracious to that person, and says, “Deliver him from going down into the Pit; I have found a ransom;
33:25 let his flesh become fresh with youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigour”;
33:26 then he prays to God, and is accepted by him, he comes into his presence with joy, and God repays him for his righteousness.
33:27 That person sings to others and says, “I sinned, and perverted what was right, and it was not paid back to me.
33:28 He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and my life shall see the light.”
33:29 ‘God indeed does all these things, twice, three times, with mortals,
33:30 to bring back their souls from the Pit, so that they may see the light of life.
33:31 Pay heed, Job, listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.
33:32 If you have anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you.
33:33 If not, listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.’
Your support helps pay our hosting costs, and
- with a little bit extra -
lets us pay transcribers and proofreaders.
If you can help, Click here to become a Patreon:
www.patreon.com/IslamAwakened Thank you!