rsv Job:33-34 SEEK
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But now ,
hear my speech ,
O Job ,
and listen to all my words .
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Behold ,
I open my mouth ;
the tongue in my mouth speaks .
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My words declare the uprightness of my heart ,
and what my lips know they speak sincerely .
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The spirit of God has made me ,
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life .
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Answer me ,
if you can ;
set your words in order before me ;
take your stand .
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Behold ,
I am toward God as you are ;
I too was formed from a piece of clay .
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Behold ,
no fear of me need terrify you ;
my pressure will not be heavy upon you .
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Surely ,
you have spoken in my hearing ,
and I have heard the sound of your words .
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You say , `
u say , "
I am clean ,
without transgression ;
I am pure ,
and there is no iniquity in me .
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Behold ,
he finds occasions against me ,
he counts me as his enemy ;
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he puts my feet in the stocks ,
and watches all my paths .'
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Behold ,
in this you are not right .
I will answer you .
God is greater than man .
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Why do you contend against him ,
saying , `
He will answer none of my words '?
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For God speaks in one way ,
and in two ,
though 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 they slumber on their beds ,
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then he opens the ears of men ,
and terrifies them with warnings ,
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that he may turn man aside from his deed ,
and cut off pride from man ;
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he keeps back his soul from the Pit ,
his life from perishing by the sword .
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Man is also chastened with pain upon his bed ,
and with continual strife in his bones ;
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so that his life loathes bread ,
and his appetite dainty food .
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His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen ;
and his bones which were not seen stick out .
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His soul draws near the Pit ,
and his life to those who bring death .
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If there be for him an angel ,
a mediator ,
one of the thousand ,
to declare to man what is right for him ;
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and he is gracious to him ,
and says , `
eliver him from going down into the Pit ,
I have found a ransom ;
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let his flesh become fresh with youth ;
let him return to the days of his youthful vigor ';
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then man prays to God ,
and he accepts him ,
he comes into his presence with joy .
He recounts to men his salvation ,
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and he sings before men ,
and says : `
d perverted what was right ,
and it was not requited to me .
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He has redeemed my soul from going down into the Pit ,
and my life shall see the light .'
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Behold ,
God does all these things ,
twice ,
three times ,
with a man ,
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to bring back his soul from the Pit ,
that he may see the light of life .
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Give heed ,
O Job ,
listen to me ;
be silent ,
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 ;
be silent ,
and I will teach you wisdom ."
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Then Eli '
hu said :
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Hear my words ,
you wise men ,
and give ear to me ,
you who know ;
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for the ear tests words as the palate tastes food .
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Let us choose what is right ;
let us determine among ourselves what is good .
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For Job has said , `
r Job has said , "
I am innocent ,
and God has taken away my right ;
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in spite of my right I am counted a liar ;
my wound is incurable ,
though I am without transgression .'
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What man is like Job ,
who drinks up scoffing like water ,
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who goes in company with evildoers and walks with wicked men ?
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For he has said , `
r he has said , "
It profits a man nothing that he should take delight in God .'
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Therefore ,
hear me ,
you men of understanding ,
far be it from God that he should do wickedness ,
and from the Almighty that he should do wrong .
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For according to the work of a man he will requite him ,
and according to his ways he will make it befall him .
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Of a truth ,
God will not do wickedly ,
and the Almighty will not pervert justice .
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Who gave him charge over the earth and who laid on him the whole world ?
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If he should take back his spirit to himself ,
and gather to himself 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 what I say .
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Shall one who hates justice govern ?
Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty ,
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who says to a king , `
o says to a king , "
Worthless one ,'
and to nobles , `
d to nobles , "
Wicked man ';
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who shows no partiality to princes ,
nor regards the rich more than the poor ,
for they are all the work of his hands ?
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In a moment they die ;
at midnight the people are shaken and pass away ,
and the mighty are taken away by no human hand .
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For his eyes are upon the ways of a man ,
and he sees all his steps .
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There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves .
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For he has not appointed a time for any man to go before God in judgment .
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He shatters the mighty without investigation ,
and sets others in their place .
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Thus ,
knowing their works ,
he overturns them in the night ,
and they are crushed .
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He strikes them for their wickedness in the sight of men ,
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because they turned aside from following him ,
and had no regard for any of his ways ,
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so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him ,
and he heard the cry of the afflicted --
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When he is quiet ,
who can condemn ?
When he hides his face ,
who can behold him ,
whether it be a nation or a man ?--
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that a godless man should not reign ,
that he should not ensnare the people .
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For has any one said to God , `
have borne chastisement ;
I will not offend any more ;
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teach me what I do not see ;
if I have done iniquity ,
I will do it no more '?
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Will he then make requital to suit you ,
because you reject it ?
For you must choose ,
and not I ;
therefore declare what you know .
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Men of understanding will say to me ,
and the wise man who hears me will say :
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Job speaks without knowledge ,
his words are without insight .'
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Would that Job were tried to the end ,
because he answers like 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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And Eli '
hu said :