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¹ "But please, Job, hear my speech, And listen to all my words. ² Now, I open my mouth; My tongue speaks in my mouth. ³ My words come from my upright heart; My lips utter pure knowledge. ⁴ The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life. ⁵ If you can answer me, Set your words in order before me; Take your stand. ⁶ Truly I am as your spokesman [fn] before God;I also have been formed out of clay. ⁷ Surely no fear of me will terrify you, Nor will my hand be heavy on you.

⁸ "Surely you have spoken in my hearing, And I have heard the sound of your words, saying, ⁹ "I am pure, without transgression; I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me. ¹⁰ Yet He finds occasions against me, He counts me as His enemy; ¹¹ He puts my feet in the stocks, He watches all my paths.' ¹² "Look, in this you are not righteous. I will answer you, For God is greater than man. ¹³ Why do you contend with Him? For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.

¹⁴ For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. ¹⁵ In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds, ¹⁶ Then He opens the ears of men, And seals their instruction. ¹⁷ In order to turn man from his deed, And conceal pride from man, ¹⁸ He keeps back his soul from the Pit, And his life from perishing by the sword.

¹⁹ "Man is also chastened with pain on his bed, And with strong pain in many of his bones, ²⁰ So that his life abhors bread, And his soul succulent food. ²¹ His flesh wastes away from sight, And his bones stick out which once were not seen. ²² Yes, his soul draws near the Pit, And his life to the executioners. ²³ "If there is a messenger for him, A mediator, one among a thousand, To show 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 His flesh shall be young like a child's, He shall return to the days of his youth. ²⁶ He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him, He shall see His face with joy, For He restores to man His righteousness. ²⁷ Then he looks at men and says, "I have sinned, and perverted what was right, And it did not profit me.' ²⁸ He will redeem his [fn] soul from going down to the Pit,And his [fn] life shall see the light.

²⁹ "Behold, God works all these things, Twice, in fact, three times with a man, ³⁰ To bring back his soul from the Pit, That he may be enlightened with the light of life. ³¹ "Give ear, Job, listen to me; Hold your peace, and I will speak. ³² If you have anything to say, answer me; Speak, for I desire to justify you. ³³ If not, listen to me; Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom."