1 Ouve, pois, Jó, as minhas razões
e dá ouvidos a todas as minhas palavras.
2 Passo agora a falar,
em minha boca fala a língua.
3 As minhas razões provam a sinceridade do meu coração,
e os meus lábios proferem o puro saber.
4 O Espírito de Deus me fez,
e o sopro do Todo-Poderoso me dá vida.
5 Se podes, contesta-me,
dispõe bem as tuas razões perante mim e apresenta-te.
6 Eis que diante de Deus sou como tu és;
também eu sou formado do barro.
7 Por isso, não te inspiro terror,
nem será pesada sobre ti a minha mão.
8 Na verdade, falaste perante mim,
e eu ouvi o som das tuas palavras:
9 Estou limpo, sem transgressão;
puro sou e não tenho iniquidade.
10 Eis que Deus procura pretextos contra mim
e me considera como seu inimigo.
11 Põe no tronco os meus pés
e observa todas as minhas veredas.
12 Nisto não tens razão, eu te respondo;
porque Deus é maior do que o homem.
13 Por que contendes com ele,
afirmando que não te dá contas de nenhum dos seus atos?
14 Pelo contrário, Deus fala de um modo, sim, de dois modos,
mas o homem não atenta para isso.
15 Em sonho ou em visão de noite,
quando cai sono profundo sobre os homens,
quando adormecem na cama,
16 então, lhes abre os ouvidos
e lhes sela a sua instrução,
17 para apartar o homem do seu desígnio
e livrá-lo da soberba;
18 para guardar a sua alma da cova
e a sua vida de passar pela espada.
19 Também no seu leito é castigado com dores,
com incessante contenda nos seus ossos;
20 de modo que a sua vida abomina o pão,
e a sua alma, a comida apetecível.
21 A sua carne, que se via, agora desaparece,
e os seus ossos, que não se viam, agora se descobrem.
22 A sua alma se vai chegando à cova,
e a sua vida, aos portadores da morte.
23 Se com ele houver um anjo intercessor, um dos milhares,
para declarar ao homem o que lhe convém,
24 então, Deus terá misericórdia dele e dirá ao anjo:
Redime-o, para que não desça à cova;
achei resgate.
25 Sua carne se robustecerá com o vigor da sua infância,
e ele tornará aos dias da sua juventude.
26 Deveras orará a Deus, que lhe será propício;
ele, com júbilo, verá a face de Deus,
e este lhe restituirá a sua justiça.
27 Cantará diante dos homens e dirá:
Pequei, perverti o direito
e não fui punido segundo merecia.
28 Deus redimiu a minha alma de ir para a cova;
e a minha vida verá a luz.
29 Eis que tudo isto é obra de Deus,
duas e três vezes para com o homem,
30 para reconduzir da cova a sua alma
e o alumiar com a luz dos viventes.
31 Escuta, pois, ó Jó, ouve-me;
cala-te, e eu falarei.
32 Se tens alguma coisa que dizer, responde-me;
fala, porque desejo justificar-te.
33 Se não, escuta-me;
cala-te, e ensinar-te-ei a sabedoria.
1 Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear my speech,
And hearken to all my words.
2 Behold now, I have opened my mouth;
My tongue hath spoken in my mouth.
3 My words shall utter the uprightness of my heart;
And that which my lips know they shall speak sincerely.
4 The Spirit of God hath made me,
And the breath of the Almighty giveth me life.
5 If thou canst, answer thou me;
Set thy words in order before me, stand forth.
6 Behold, I am toward God even as thou art:
I also am formed out of the clay.
7 Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid,
Neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee.
8 Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,
9 I am clean, without transgression;
I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me:
10 Behold, he findeth occasions against me,
He counteth me for his enemy;
11 He putteth my feet in the stocks,
He marketh all my paths.
12 Behold, I will answer thee, in this thou art not just;
For God is greater than man.
13 Why dost thou strive against him,
For that he giveth not account of any of his matters?
14 For God speaketh once,
Yea twice, though man regardeth it not.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falleth upon men,
In slumberings upon the bed;
16 Then he openeth the ears of men,
And sealeth their instruction,
17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose,
And hide pride from man;
18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit,
And his life from perishing by the sword.
19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed,
And with continual strife in his bones;
20 So that his life abhorreth bread,
And his soul dainty food.
21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen;
And his bones that were not seen stick out.
22 Yea, his soul draweth near unto the pit,
And his life to the destroyers.
23 If there be with him an angel,
An interpreter, one among a thousand,
To show unto man what is right for him;
24 Then God is gracious unto him, and saith,
Deliver him from going down to the pit,
I have found a ransom.
25 His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s;
He returneth to the days of his youth.
26 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.
27 He singeth before men, and saith,
I have sinned, and perverted that which was right,
And it profited me not:
28 He hath redeemed my soul from going into the pit,
And my life shall behold the light.
29 Lo, all these things doth God work,
Twice, yea thrice, with a man,
30 To bring back his soul from the pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of the living.
31 Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me:
Hold thy peace, and I will speak.
32 If thou hast anything to say, answer me:
Speak, for I desire to justify thee.
33 If not, hearken thou unto me:
Hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.
1 "But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say.
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; my lips sincerely speak what I know.
4 The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 Answer me then, if you can; stand up and argue your case before me.
6 I am the same as you in God's sight; I too am a piece of clay.
7 No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy on you.
8 "But you have said in my hearing — I heard the very words —
9 'I am pure, I have done no wrong; I am clean and free from sin.
10 Yet God has found fault with me; he considers me his enemy.
11 He fastens my feet in shackles; he keeps close watch on all my paths.'
12 "But I tell you, in this you are not right, for God is greater than any mortal.
13 Why do you complain to him that he responds to no one's words "?
14 For God does speak —now one way, now another — though no one perceives it.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on people as they slumber in their beds,
16 he may speak in their ears and terrify them with warnings,
17 to turn them from wrongdoing and keep them from pride,
18 to preserve them from the pit, their lives from perishing by the sword. [^2]
19 "Or someone may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in their bones,
20 so that their body finds food repulsive and their soul loathes the choicest meal.
21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing, and their bones, once hidden, now stick out.
22 They draw near to the pit, and their life to the messengers of death. [^3]
23 Yet if there is an angel at their side, a messenger, one out of a thousand, sent to tell them how to be upright,
24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God, 'Spare them from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for them —
25 let their flesh be renewed like a child's; let them be restored as in the days of their youth' —
26 then that person can pray to God and find favor with him, they will see God's face and shout for joy; he will restore them to full well-being.
27 And they will go to others and say, 'I have sinned, I have perverted what is right, but I did not get what I deserved.
28 God has delivered me from going down to the pit, and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.'
29 "God does all these things to a person — twice, even three times —
30 to turn them back from the pit, that the light of life may shine on them.
31 "Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me; speak up, for I want to vindicate you.
33 But if not, then listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom."