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¹ "But now, hear my speech, O Job,
    and listen to all my words.
² Behold, I ^(a)open my mouth;
    the tongue in my mouth speaks.
³ My words declare the uprightness of my heart,
    and what my lips know they speak sincerely.
^4 (b)The Spirit of God has made me,
    and ^(c)the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
^5 (d)Answer me, if you can;
    ^(e)set your words in order before me; take your stand.
⁶ Behold, I am toward God as you are;
    I too was pinched off from a piece of ^(f)clay.
⁷ Behold, no ^(g)fear of me need terrify you;
    my ^(h)pressure will not be heavy upon you.

⁸ "Surely you have spoken in my ears,
    and I have heard the sound of your words.
⁹ You say, ‘I am ⁽ⁱ⁾pure, without ^(j)transgression;
    I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.
¹⁰ Behold, he finds occasions against me,
    he ^(k)counts me as his enemy,
¹¹ he ^(l)puts my feet in the stocks
    and ^(m)watches all my paths.'

¹² "Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you,
    for God is greater than man.
¹³ Why do you ⁽ⁿ⁾contend against him,
    saying, ‘He ^(o)will answer none of man's^[a] words'?^[b]
14 For God ^(p)speaks in one way,
    ^(q)and in two, though man ^(r)does not perceive it.
¹⁵ In ^(s)a dream, in ^(t)a vision of ^(u)the night,
    when ^(v)deep sleep falls on men,
    while they slumber on their beds,
¹⁶ then he ^(w)opens the ears of men
    and terrifies^[c] them with warnings,
¹⁷ that he may turn man aside from his ^(x)deed
    and conceal pride from a man;
¹⁸ he keeps back his soul from the pit,
    his life from ^(y)perishing by the sword.

¹⁹ "Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed
    and with continual strife in his ^(z)bones,
²⁰ so that his ^(aa)life loathes bread,
    and his appetite ^(ab)the choicest food.
²¹ His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,
    and his bones that were not seen ^(ac)stick out.
²² His soul draws near ^(ad)the pit,
    and his life to ^(ae)those who bring death.
²³ If there be for him ^(af)an angel,
    ^(ag)a mediator, ^(ah)one of the thousand,
    to declare to man what is ^(ai)right for him,
²⁴ and he is merciful to him, and says,
    ‘Deliver him from going down into the pit;
    I have found ^(aj)a ransom;
²⁵ let his flesh ^(ak)become fresh with youth;
    let him return to the days of his youthful vigor';
²⁶ then man^{[d] (al)}prays to God, and he accepts him;
    he ^(am)sees his face with a shout of joy,
and he ^(an)restores to man his righteousness.
²⁷     He sings before men and says:
‘I ^(ao)sinned and perverted what was right,
    and it was not repaid to me.
²⁸ He has redeemed my ^(ap)soul from going down ^(aq)into the pit,
    and my life shall ^(ar)look upon the light.'

²⁹ "Behold, God does all these things,
    twice, ^(as)three times, with a man,
³⁰ to bring back his soul from the pit,
    that he may be lighted with ^(at)the light of life.
³¹ Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;
    be silent, and I will speak.
³² If you have any words, ^(au)answer me;
    ^(av)speak, for I desire to justify you.
³³ If not, ^(aw)listen to me;
    be silent, and I will teach you wisdom."