Job 33:1–10

⁶Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.

²Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

⁹And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

¹HEAR this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:

²Both low and high, rich and poor, together.

³My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

¹AFTER this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day.

³⁰Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

²And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

²I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:

⁴My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

³For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:

⁴But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

¹⁵There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

²Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?

³I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

⁴For truly my words shall not be false: he that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

²Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

²⁸Now therefore be content, look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I lie.

²The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.

⁷The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.

⁷For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

⁸All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.

³⁰The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

³¹The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

⁸But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

⁷And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

³All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;

⁴⁵And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

¹²Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

⁶By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

²For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

³Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

³²If thou hast any thing to say, answer me: speak, for I desire to justify thee.

³³If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.

²⁶But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.

¹⁸Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

⁴I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

⁵I would know the words which he would answer me, and understand what he would say unto me.

¹SO these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

¹²Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words:

¹⁴Now he hath not directed his words against me: neither will I answer him with your speeches.

²¹These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

¹⁹How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?

¹FOR we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

⁹Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

²⁰Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

¹⁶And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.

⁷And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

¹⁹In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

²And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

¹²Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.

²²In the fulness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits: every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.

³Oh that I knew where I might find him! that I might come even to his seat!

⁴I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

³⁵Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.

³²For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment.

³³Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

³⁴Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

³⁵Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

³Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

²¹Withdraw thine hand far from me: and let not thy dread make me afraid.

³⁴Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me:

⁴For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

¹⁶Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off.

¹⁴Then shalt thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you;

²³Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours’ wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the Lord.

⁷Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand.

¹⁷Not for any injustice in mine hands: also my prayer is pure.

⁴For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.

²¹Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul: I would despise my life.

¹⁴I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

³⁵Yet thou sayest, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead with thee, because thou sayest, I have not sinned.

¹⁸Behold now, I have ordered my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

²³How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.

⁸Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.

¹¹My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined.

¹²Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

⁵God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.

⁶My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

¹⁷For he breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

²³If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

²⁸I am afraid of all my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me innocent.

²⁴Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and holdest me for thine enemy?

²⁵Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro? and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble?

¹¹He hath also kindled his wrath against me, and he counteth me unto him as one of his enemies.

¹⁵If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;

¹⁶For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.

¹⁷Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.

¹⁶For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?

⁹He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me: he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

²¹Thou art become cruel to me: with thy strong hand thou opposest thyself against me.

³⁵Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.

⁵For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.

³⁰If I wash myself with snow water, and make my hands never so clean;

³¹Yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.