nkjv Job:33-34 SEEK
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But please ,
Job ,
hear my speech ,
And listen to all my words .
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Now ,
I open my mouth ;
My tongue speaks in my mouth .
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My words come from my upright heart ;
My lips utter pure knowledge .
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The Spirit of God has made me ,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life .
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If you can answer me ,
Set your words in order before me ;
Take your stand .
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Truly I am as your spokesman before God ;
I also have been formed out of clay .
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Surely no fear of me will terrify you ,
Nor will my hand be heavy on you .
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Surely you have spoken in my hearing ,
And I have heard the sound of your words ,
saying ,
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I am pure ,
without transgression ;
I am innocent ,
and there is no iniquity in me .
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Yet He finds occasions against me ,
He counts me as His enemy ;
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He puts my feet in the stocks ,
He watches all my paths .'
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Look ,
in this you are not righteous .
I will answer you ,
For God is greater than man .
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Why do you contend with Him ?
For He does not give an accounting of any of His words .
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For God may speak in one way ,
or in another ,
Yet man does not perceive it .
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In a dream ,
in a vision of the night ,
When deep sleep falls upon men ,
While slumbering on their beds ,
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Then He opens the ears of men ,
And seals their instruction .
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In order to turn man from his deed ,
And conceal pride from man ,
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He keeps back his soul from the Pit ,
And his life from perishing by the sword .
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Man is also chastened with pain on his bed ,
And with strong pain in many of his bones ,
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So that his life abhors bread ,
And his soul succulent food .
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His flesh wastes away from sight ,
And his bones stick out which once were not seen .
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Yes ,
his soul draws near the Pit ,
And his life to the executioners .
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If there is a messenger for him ,
A mediator ,
one among a thousand ,
To show man His uprightness ,
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Then He is gracious to him ,
and says , "
Deliver him from going down to the Pit ;
I have found a ransom ';
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His flesh shall be young like a child '
s ,
He shall return to the days of his youth .
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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 .
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Then he looks at men and says , "
I have sinned ,
and perverted what was right ,
And it did not profit me .'
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He will redeem his soul from going down to the Pit ,
And his life shall see the light .
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Behold ,
God works all these things ,
Twice ,
in fact ,
three times with a man ,
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To bring back his soul from the Pit ,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life .
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Give ear ,
Job ,
listen to me ;
Hold your peace ,
and I will speak .
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If you have anything to say ,
answer me ;
Speak ,
for I desire to justify you .
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If not ,
listen to me ;
Hold your peace ,
and I will teach you wisdom ."
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Elihu further answered and said :
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Hear my words ,
you wise men ;
Give ear to me ,
you who have knowledge .
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For the ear tests words As the palate tastes food .
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Let us choose justice for ourselves ;
Let us know among ourselves what is good .
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For Job has said , "
I am righteous ,
But God has taken away my justice ;
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Should I lie concerning my right ?
My wound is incurable ,
though I am without transgression .'
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What man is like Job ,
Who drinks scorn like water ,
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Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity ,
And walks with wicked men ?
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For he has said , "
It profits a man nothing That he should delight in God .'
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Therefore listen to me ,
you men of understanding :
Far be it from God to do wickedness ,
And from the Almighty to commit iniquity .
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For He repays man according to his work ,
And makes man to find a reward according to his way .
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Surely God will never do wickedly ,
Nor will the Almighty pervert justice .
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Who gave Him charge over the earth ?
Or who appointed Him over the whole world ?
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If He should set His heart on it ,
If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath ,
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All flesh would perish together ,
And man would return to dust .
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If you have understanding ,
hear this ;
Listen to the sound of my words :
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Should one who hates justice govern ?
Will you condemn Him who is most just ?
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Is it fitting to say to a king , "
You are worthless ,'
And to nobles , "
You are wicked '?
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Yet He is not partial to princes ,
Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor ;
For they are all the work of His hands .
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In a moment they die ,
in the middle of the night ;
The people are shaken and pass away ;
The mighty are taken away without a hand .
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For His eyes are on the ways of man ,
And He sees all his steps .
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There is no darkness nor shadow of death Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves .
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For He need not further consider a man ,
That he should go before God in judgment .
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He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry ,
And sets others in their place .
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Therefore He knows their works ;
He overthrows them in the night ,
And they are crushed .
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He strikes them as wicked men In the open sight of others ,
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Because they turned back from Him ,
And would not consider any of His ways ,
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So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him ;
For He hears the cry of the afflicted .
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When He gives quietness ,
who then can make trouble ?
And when He hides His face ,
who then can see Him ,
Whether it is against a nation or a man alone ?--
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That the hypocrite should not reign ,
Lest the people be ensnared .
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For has anyone said to God , "
I have borne chastening ;
I will offend no more ;
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Teach me what I do not see ;
If I have done iniquity ,
I will do no more '?
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Should He repay it according to your terms ,
Just because you disavow it ?
You must choose ,
and not I ;
Therefore speak what you know .
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Men of understanding say to me ,
Wise men who listen to me :
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Job speaks without knowledge ,
His words are without wisdom .'
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Oh ,
that Job were tried to the utmost ,
Because his answers are like those of wicked men !
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For he adds rebellion to his sin ;
He claps his hands among us ,
And multiplies his words against God ."
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Moreover Elihu answered and said :