Daily Bread

33 “But now, Job, listen^(A) to my words;
    pay attention to everything I say.^(B)
2 I am about to open my mouth;
    my words are on the tip of my tongue.
³ My words come from an upright heart;^(C)
    my lips sincerely speak what I know.^(D)
4 The Spirit^(E) of God has made me;^(F)
    the breath of the Almighty^(G) gives me life.^(H)
5 Answer me^(I) then, if you can;
    stand up^(J) and argue your case before me.^(K)
6 I am the same as you in God’s sight;^(L)
    I too am a piece of clay.^(M)
7 No fear of me should alarm you,
    nor should my hand be heavy on you.^(N)

⁸ “But you have said in my hearing—
    I heard the very words—
⁹ ‘I am pure,^(O) I have done no wrong;^(P)
    I am clean and free from sin.^(Q)
10 Yet God has found fault with me;
    he considers me his enemy.^(R)
11 He fastens my feet in shackles;^(S)
    he keeps close watch on all my paths.’^(T)

¹² “But I tell you, in this you are not right,
    for God is greater than any mortal.^(U)
13 Why do you complain to him^(V)
    that he responds to no one’s words^[a]?^(W)
14 For God does speak^(X)—now one way, now another^(Y)—
    though no one perceives it.^(Z)
15 In a dream,^(AA) in a vision^(AB) of the night,^(AC)
    when deep sleep^(AD) falls on people
    as they slumber in their beds,
¹⁶ he may speak^(AE) in their ears
    and terrify them^(AF) with warnings,^(AG)
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
    and keep them from pride,^(AH)
18 to preserve them from the pit,^(AI)
    their lives from perishing by the sword.^[b](AJ)

¹⁹ “Or someone may be chastened^(AK) on a bed of pain^(AL)
    with constant distress in their bones,^(AM)
20 so that their body finds food^(AN) repulsive
    and their soul loathes the choicest meal.^(AO)
21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing,
    and their bones,^(AP) once hidden, now stick out.^(AQ)
22 They draw near to the pit,^(AR)
    and their life to the messengers of death.^[c](AS)
23 Yet if there is an angel at their side,
    a messenger,^(AT) one out of a thousand,
    sent to tell them how to be upright,^(AU)
24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God,
    ‘Spare them from going down to the pit;^(AV)
    I have found a ransom for them^(AW)—
²⁵ let their flesh be renewed^(AX) like a child’s;
    let them be restored as in the days of their youth’^(AY)—
²⁶ then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,^(AZ)
    they will see God’s face and shout for joy;^(BA)
    he will restore them to full well-being.^(BB)
27 And they will go to others and say,
    ‘I have sinned,^(BC) I have perverted what is right,^(BD)
    but I did not get what I deserved.^(BE)
28 God has delivered^(BF) me from going down to the pit,^(BG)
    and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’^(BH)

²⁹ “God does all these things to a person^(BI)—
    twice, even three times^(BJ)—
³⁰ to turn them back^(BK) from the pit,^(BL)
    that the light of life^(BM) may shine on them.^(BN)

³¹ “Pay attention, Job, and listen^(BO) to me;^(BP)
    be silent,^(BQ) and I will speak.
³² If you have anything to say, answer me;^(BR)
    speak up, for I want to vindicate you.^(BS)
33 But if not, then listen to me;^(BT)
    be silent,^(BU) and I will teach you wisdom.^(BV)”