Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear my speech,
And hearken to all my words.
Behold now, I have opened my mouth;
My tongue hath spoken in my {Hebrew: palate.}mouth.
My words shall utter the uprightness of my heart;
And that which my lips know they shall speak sincerely.
The Spirit of God hath made me,
And the breath of the Almighty giveth me life.
If thou canst, answer thou me;
Set thy words in order before me, stand forth.
Behold, {Or, I am according to thy wish in God's stead}I am toward God even as thou art:
I also am formed out of the clay.
Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid,
Neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee.
Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,
I am clean, without transgression;
I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me:
Behold, he findeth {Or, causes of alienation}occasions against me,
He counteth me for his enemy:
He putteth my feet in the stocks,
He marketh all my paths.
Behold, {Or, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, For &c.}I will answer thee, in this thou art not just;
For God is greater than man.
Why dost thou strive against him,
For that he giveth not account of any of his matters?
For God speaketh {Or, in one way, yea, in two}once,
Yea twice, though man regardeth it not.
In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falleth upon men,
In slumberings upon the bed;
Then he {Hebrew: uncovereth.}openeth the ears of men,
And sealeth their instruction,
{Or, That man may put away his purpose. And that he may hide}That he may withdraw man from his purpose,
And hide pride from man;
{Or, That he may keep back}He keepeth back his soul from the pit,
And his life from perishing by the {Or, weapons}sword.
He is chastened also with pain upon his bed,
{Another reading is, While all his bones are firm.}And with continual strife in his bones;
So that his life abhorreth bread,
And his soul dainty food.
His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen;
And his bones that were not seen stick out.
Yea, his soul draweth near unto the pit,
And his life to the destroyers.
If there be with him {Or, a messenger}an angel,
An interpreter, one {Or, of the thousand}among a thousand,
To show unto man {Or, his uprightness}what is right for him;
{Or, And he be gracious and say ransom his flesh &c.}Then God is gracious unto him, and saith,
Deliver him from going down to the pit,
I have found a ransom.
His flesh shall be fresher than a child's;
He returneth to the days of his youth.
He prayeth unto God, and he is favorable unto him,
So that he seeth his face with joy:
And he restoreth unto man his righteousness.
He {Or, looketh upon men}singeth before men, and saith,
I have sinned, and perverted that which was right,
And {Or, it was nor requited unto me Or, it was not meet for me}it profited me not:
He hath redeemed my soul from going into the pit,
And my life shall behold the light.
Lo, all these things doth God work,
Twice, yea thrice, with a man,
To bring back his soul from the pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of {Or, life}the living.
Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me:
Hold thy peace, and I will speak.
If thou hast anything to say, answer me:
Speak, for I desire to justify thee.
If not, hearken thou unto me:
Hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.
Querverweise zu Hiob 33,20 Hiob 33,20
Fools because of {Hebrew: the way of their transgression.}their transgression,And because of their iniquities, are afflicted.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was {Or, desireable to look upon}to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat; and she gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat.
Their soul abhorreth all manner of food;And they draw near unto the gates of death.
But I said, How {Or, shall I…nations?}I will put thee among the children, and give thee {Or, the goodliest heritage of the nations}a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations! and I said, {Another reading is, Thou shalt…and shalt not &c.}Ye shall call me My Father, and shall not turn away from following me.
Forasmuch therefore as ye trample upon the poor, and take exactions from him of wheat: ye have built houses of hewn stone, but ye shall not dwell in them; ye have planted pleasant vineyards, but ye shall not drink the wine thereof.