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1“But now, O Job, listen to my words,
and hear everything I have to say!
2See now, I have opened my mouth;[#tn The perfect verbs in this verse should be classified as perfects of resolve: “I have decided to open…speak.”]
my tongue in my mouth has spoken.
3My words come from the uprightness of my heart,[#tc This expression is unusual; R. Gordis (Job, 371) says it can be translated, “the purity of my heart [is reflected] in my words,” but that is far-fetched and awkward. So there have been suggestions for emending יֹשֶׁר (yosher, “uprightness”). Kissane’s makes the most sense if a change is desired: “shall reveal” (an Arabic sense of yasher), although Holscher interpreted “shall affirm” (yasher, with a Syriac sense). Dhorme has “my heart will repeat” (יָשׁוּר, yashur), but this is doubtful. If Kissane’s view is taken, it would say, “my heart will reveal my words.” Some commentators would join “and knowledge” to this colon, and read “words of knowledge” – but that requires even more emendations.]
and my lips will utter knowledge sincerely.
4The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5Reply to me, if you can;
set your arguments in order before me
and take your stand!
6Look, I am just like you in relation to God;
I too have been molded from clay.
7Therefore no fear of me should terrify you,
nor should my pressure be heavy on you.
8“Indeed, you have said in my hearing[#tn Heb “in my ears.”]
(I heard the sound of the words!):
9‘I am pure, without transgression;[#sn See Job 9:21; 10:7; 23:7; 27:4; ch. 31.]
I am clean and have no iniquity.
10Yet God finds occasions with me;[#sn See Job 10:13ff.; 19:6ff.; and 13:24.; #tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.; #tn The Hebrew means “frustrations” or “oppositions.” The RSV has “displeasure,” NIV “faults,” and NRSV “occasions.” Rashi chose the word found in Judg 14:4 – with metathesis – meaning “pretexts” (תֹּאֲנוֹת, to’anot); this is followed by NAB, NASB.]
he regards me as his enemy!
11He puts my feet in shackles;[#sn See Job 13:27.]
he watches closely all my paths.’
12Now in this, you are not right – I answer you,[#tn The meaning of this verb is “this is my answer to you.”]
for God is greater than a human being.
13Why do you contend against him,
that he does not answer all a person’s words?
14“For God speaks, the first time in one way,
the second time in another,
though a person does not perceive it.
15In a dream, a night vision,
when deep sleep falls on people
as they sleep in their beds.
16Then he gives a revelation to people,[#tn The idiom is “he uncovers the ear of men.” This expression means “inform” in Ruth 4:4; 1 Sam 20:2, etc. But when God is the subject it means “make a revelation” (see 1 Sam 9:15; 2 Sam 7:27).]
and terrifies them with warnings,
17to turn a person from his sin,[#tc The MT simply has מַעֲשֶׂה (ma’aseh, “deed”). The LXX has “from his iniquity” which would have been מֵעַוְלָה (me’avlah). The two letters may have dropped out by haplography. The MT is workable, but would have to mean “[evil] deeds.”]
and to cover a person’s pride.
18He spares a person’s life from corruption,[#tn A number of interpreters and translations take this as “the pit” (see Job 17:14; cf. NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).]
his very life from crossing over the river.
19Or a person is chastened by pain on his bed,[#tc The MT has the passive form, and so a subject has to be added: “[a man] is chastened.” The LXX has the active form, indicating “[God] chastens,” but the object “a man” has to be added. It is understandable why the LXX thought this was active, within this sequence of verbs; and that is why it is the inferior reading.]
and with the continual strife of his bones,
20so that his life loathes food,
and his soul rejects appetizing fare.
21His flesh wastes away from sight,
and his bones, which were not seen,
are easily visible.
22He draws near to the place of corruption,[#tn Heb “his soul [נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh, “life”] draws near.”]
and his life to the messengers of death.
23If there is an angel beside him,
one mediator out of a thousand,
to tell a person what constitutes his uprightness;
24and if God is gracious to him and says,[#tn This verse seems to continue the protasis begun in the last verse, with the apodosis coming in the next verse.; #tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.]
‘Spare him from going down
to the place of corruption,
I have found a ransom for him,’
25then his flesh is restored like a youth’s;[#tc The word רֻטֲפַשׁ (rutafash) is found nowhere else. One suggestion is that it should be יִרְטַב (yirtav, “to become fresh”), connected to רָטַב (ratav, “to be well watered [or moist]”). It is also possible that it was a combination of רָטַב (ratav, “to be well watered”) and טָפַשׁ (tafash, “to grow fat”). But these are all guesses in the commentaries.]
he returns to the days of his youthful vigor.
26He entreats God, and God delights in him,[#tn Heb “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.]
he sees God’s face with rejoicing,
and God restores to him his righteousness.
27That person sings to others, saying:[#tc The verb יָשֹׁר (yashor) is unusual. The typical view is to change it to יָשִׁיר (yashir, “he sings”), but that may seem out of harmony with a confession. Dhorme suggests a root שׁוּר (shur, “to repeat”), but this is a doubtful root. J. Reider reads it יָשֵׁיר (yasher) and links it to an Arabic word “confesses” (ZAW 24 [1953]: 275).; #tn Heb “to men.”]
‘I have sinned and falsified what is right,
but I was not punished according to what I deserved.
28He redeemed my life[#sn See note on “him” in v. 24.]
from going down to the place of corruption,
and my life sees the light!’
29“Indeed, God does all these things,
twice, three times, in his dealings with a person,
30to turn back his life from the place of corruption,
that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
31Pay attention, Job – listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
32If you have any words, reply to me;[#tn Heb “if there are words.”]
speak, for I want to justify you.
33If not, you listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”