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2 “Look, I will now open my mouth,
and speak with the tongue in my mouth.
3 My words will come from the uprightness of my heart,
and my lips utter knowledge sincerely.
4 The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty has given me life.
5 Answer me, if you can;
prepare your case, and stand up and face me.
6 Indeed, I am just like you before God;
I have also been formed from clay.
7 No fear of me should make you afraid,
nor will my hand be heavy upon you.
8 “Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
and I have heard the claims of your words:
9 ‘I am pure and without transgression;
I am innocent and without iniquity.
10 Yet God has found fault with me;
He counts me as his enemy.
11 He puts my feet in the stocks;
He keeps a close watch over all my paths’.
12 “But in this you are not right,
for I will answer you that God is greater than man.
13 Why do you complain against God
that He doesn’t answer any of man’s words.
14 For God does speak—
now in one way,
yes, twice in another way,
though man may not perceive it—
15 in a dream, in a vision of the night,
when deep sleep falls upon men,
while they slumber in their beds.
16 Then He may open the ears of men
and instruct them with His seal of authority,
17 that He may turn man away from wrongdoing,
and keep man from pride.
18 God preserves his soul from the Pit,
and his life from perishing by the sword.
19 “Man is chastened with pain on his bed,
and with constant distress in his bones,
20 so that his life loathes bread,
and his soul despises dainty food.
21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
and his bones that were not seen stick out.
22 His soul draws near to the Pit,
and his life to the destroyer.
23 “Yet if an angel is at his side,
an advocate, one among a thousand,
to remind a man of what is right for him,
24 and to be gracious to him and say,
‘Spare him from going down to the Pit,
I have obtained his ransom’—
25 then his flesh will renewed like in his youth;
he will revisit the days of his youthful vigour.
26 He will pray to God and be accepted by Him,
and God will show His favour.
The man will see His face with joy,
and God will restore His righteousness to the man.
27 He will look at men and say,
‘I have sinned, and what was right I perverted,
yet it was not repaid back upon me.
28 He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit,
and I will remain in the light of life’.
29 “God truly works all these things for a man,
two times, even three times,
30 to turn back his soul from going down to the Pit,
so he may be enlightened with the light of the living.
31 “Pay attention, Job, and listen to me;
hold your peace, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
speak up, for I desire to justify you.
33 But if not, listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”