Job 33

Elihu, what are you up to?

Note the urgency of this - no rest, yet it is easily long enough to have two rests. Verse 27 is likewise one uninterrupted admission.

Elihu, pace Job, is teaching repentance in one uninterrupted admission. Equally he is pointing to the mercy seat (כפר) as its effective ransom. Perhaps he is simply a cult follower, or perhaps with this ecstatic vision, he is beyond ritual. (Remember too that bombast or not, this is poetry. Cut Elihu some slack. If he prefigures incarnation, it should be no surprise. I think we will find he is neither commended not reproved.) You can, if you will, even find here the doctrine of imputed righteousness.

Job 33		Fn		Min	Max	Syll
וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁמַֽע־נָ֣א אִיּ֣וֹב מִלָּ֑י וְֽכָל־דְּבָרַ֥י הַאֲזִֽינָה	1		Hear, however, if you will, Job, my speech, and to all my words give ear.	3e	4B	10 9
הִנֵּה־נָ֭א פָּתַ֣חְתִּי פִ֑י דִּבְּרָ֖ה לְשׁוֹנִ֣י בְחִכִּֽי	2		Behold if you will, I open my mouth. My tongue in my palate has spoken.	3e	4B	7 8
יֹֽשֶׁר־לִבִּ֥י אֲמָרָ֑י וְדַ֥עַת שְׂ֝פָתַ֗י בָּר֥וּר מִלֵּֽלוּ	3		The uprightness of my heart is my promise, and the knowledge of my lips purified will give speech.	3e	4A	7 11
רֽוּחַ־אֵ֥ל עָשָׂ֑תְנִי וְנִשְׁמַ֖ת שַׁדַּ֣י תְּחַיֵּֽנִי	4		The spirit of the One has made me, and the breath of the Sufficient has given me life.	3e	4B	6 9
אִם־תּוּכַ֥ל הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נִי עֶרְכָ֥ה לְ֝פָנַ֗י הִתְיַצָּֽבָה	5		If you can turn me, arrange before me. Present yourself.	3e	4A	7 9
הֵן־אֲנִ֣י כְפִ֣יךָ לָאֵ֑ל מֵ֝חֹ֗מֶר קֹרַ֥צְתִּי גַם־אָֽנִי	6		Lo I am as your mouth to the One. From clay I am pinched, even I.	3e	4B	8 9
הִנֵּ֣ה אֵ֭מָתִי לֹ֣א תְבַעֲתֶ֑ךָּ וְ֝אַכְפִּ֗י עָלֶ֥יךָ לֹא־יִכְבָּֽד	7		Behold, my horror not will alarm you, and my arm-twisting against you is not heavy.	3e	4B	11 9
אַ֭ךְ אָמַ֣רְתָּ בְאָזְנָ֑י וְק֖וֹל מִלִּ֣ין אֶשְׁמָֽע	8	g	Surely you were saying in my ears, and the voice of speeches I heard:	3e	4B	7 6
זַ֥ךְ אֲנִ֗י בְּֽלִ֫י פָ֥שַׁע חַ֥ף אָנֹכִ֑י וְלֹ֖א עָוֺ֣ן לִֽי	9	f	Clear am I without transgression, faultless myself, and no iniquity for me.	3e	4B	7 4 5
הֵ֣ן תְּ֭נוּאוֹת עָלַ֣י יִמְצָ֑א יַחְשְׁבֵ֖נִי לְאוֹיֵ֣ב לֽוֹ	10	B	Lo, hindrance over me he finds, and he reckons me as his enemy.	3e	4B	8 8
יָשֵׂ֣ם בַּסַּ֣ד רַגְלָ֑י יִ֝שְׁמֹ֗ר כָּל־אָרְחֹתָֽי	11		He sets in the stocks my feet. He watches all my paths.	3e	4B	6 6
הֶן־זֹ֣את לֹא־צָדַ֣קְתָּ אֶעֱנֶ֑ךָּ כִּֽי־יִרְבֶּ֥ה אֱ֝ל֗וֹהַ מֵאֱנֽוֹשׁ	12		Lo this! You are not just. I would answer you, for the increase of God over a mortal.	3e	4B	9 9
מַ֭דּוּעַ אֵלָ֣יו רִיב֑וֹתָ כִּ֥י כָל־דְּ֝בָרָ֗יו לֹ֣א־יַעֲנֶֽה	13	g	For what purpose against him do you contend? For he does not answer all his words.	3e	4B	8 8
כִּֽי־בְאַחַ֥ת יְדַבֶּר־אֵ֑ל וּ֝בִשְׁתַּ֗יִם לֹ֣א יְשׁוּרֶֽנָּה	14		For once speaks the One, and twice he does not scrutinize it.	3e	4B	8 8
בַּחֲל֤וֹם ׀ חֶזְי֬וֹן לַ֗יְלָה בִּנְפֹ֣ל תַּ֭רְדֵּמָה עַל־אֲנָשִׁ֑ים בִּ֝תְנוּמ֗וֹת עֲלֵ֣י מִשְׁכָּֽב	15		In a dream, a night vision when a trance falls on men, while slumbering on a litter,	3e	4C	16 7
אָ֣ז יִ֭גְלֶה אֹ֣זֶן אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וּבְמֹ֖סָרָ֣ם יַחְתֹּֽם	16	B	Then he discloses to a person's ear, and their mentoring he seals,	3e	4B	8 6
לְ֭הָסִיר אָדָ֣ם מַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וְגֵוָ֖ה מִגֶּ֣בֶר יְכַסֶּֽה	17	g	To turn aside humanity from what it does, and hubris from the valiant, cover.	3e	4B	8 9
יַחְשֹׂ֣ךְ נַ֭פְשׁוֹ מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת וְ֝חַיָּת֗וֹ מֵעֲבֹ֥ר בַּשָּֽׁלַח	18		He keeps back its very self from destruction, and its life from being passed through by a javelin.	3e	4B	7 10
וְהוּכַ֣ח בְּ֭מַכְאוֹב עַל־מִשְׁכָּב֑וֹ וְר֖וֹב עֲצָמָ֣יו אֵתָֽן	19		And it is refereed in sorrow when it lies down, and the contention of its bones is perennial.	3e	4B	10 7
וְזִֽהֲמַ֣תּוּ חַיָּת֣וֹ לָ֑חֶם וְ֝נַפְשׁ֗וֹ מַאֲכַ֥ל תַּאֲוָֽה	20		And its life finds bread foul, and its very self, a desire for food.	3e	4B	10 9
יִ֣כֶל בְּשָׂר֣וֹ מֵרֹ֑אִי וְשֻׁפּ֥וּ עַ֝צְמוֹתָ֗יו לֹ֣א רֻאּֽוּ	21	B	Consumed is its flesh from sight, and protruding its bones that are not to be seen.	3e	4B	8 9
וַתִּקְרַ֣ב לַשַּׁ֣חַת נַפְשׁ֑וֹ וְ֝חַיָּת֗וֹ לַֽמְמִתִֽים	22		And its very self is brought near to destruction, and its life to the executioners.	3e	4B	8 7
אִם־יֵ֤שׁ עָלָ֨יו ׀ מַלְאָ֗ךְ מֵלִ֗יץ אֶחָ֥ד מִנִּי־אָ֑לֶף לְהַגִּ֖יד לְאָדָ֣ם יָשְׁרֽוֹ	23		If there is for it an insinuating messenger, one in a thousand, to tell an earthling its uprightness,	3e	4C	13 8
וַיְחֻנֶּ֗נּוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר פְּ֭דָעֵהוּ מֵרֶ֥דֶת שָׁ֗חַת מָצָ֥אתִי כֹֽפֶר	24		And he makes supplication for it and says, Retrieve it from the descent to destruction. I have found a cover-price.	3e	3g	21
רֻֽטֲפַ֣שׁ בְּשָׂר֣וֹ מִנֹּ֑עַר יָ֝שׁ֗וּב לִימֵ֥י עֲלוּמָֽיו	25		Its flesh will recover the bloom of a youth. It will return to the days of its adolescence.	3e	4B	9 7
יֶעְתַּ֤ר אֶל־אֱל֨וֹהַּ ׀ וַיִּרְצֵ֗הוּ וַיַּ֣רְא פָּ֭נָיו בִּתְרוּעָ֑ה וַיָּ֥שֶׁב לֶ֝אֱנ֗וֹשׁ צִדְקָתֽוֹ	26		It will petition to God and find acceptance and it will see his face with jubilation, for he will return to a mortal, his righteousness.	3e	4C	17 9
יָשֹׁ֤ר ׀ עַל־אֲנָשִׁ֗ים וַיֹּ֗אמֶר חָ֭טָאתִי וְיָשָׁ֥ר הֶעֱוֵ֗יתִי וְלֹא־שָׁ֥וָה לִֽי	27		He scrutinizes men, but let it say, I have sinned and what is upright I have perverted, and it was not attributed to me.	3e	4C	23
פָּדָ֣ה נַ֭פְשׁוֹ מֵעֲבֹ֣ר בַּשָּׁ֑חַת וְ֝חַיָּתוֹ בָּא֥וֹר תִּרְאֶֽה	28		It will ransom its very self from passing through into the destruction, and its life in light it will see.	3e	4B	10 8
הֶן־כָּל־אֵ֭לֶּה יִפְעַל־אֵ֑ל פַּעֲמַ֖יִם שָׁל֣וֹשׁ עִם־גָּֽבֶר	29		Lo, all these the One works, time and time again with one who prevails,	3e	4B	7 8
לְהָשִׁ֣יב נַ֭פְשׁוֹ מִנִּי־שָׁ֑חַת לֵ֝א֗וֹר בְּא֣וֹר הַֽחַיִּים	30		to turn its very self from destruction, to be enlightened in the light of the living.	3e	4B	8 7
הַקְשֵׁ֖ב אִיּ֥וֹב שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י הַ֝חֲרֵ֗שׁ וְאָנֹכִ֥י אֲדַבֵּֽר	31		Pay attention, Job, hear me. Keep silence, and I myself will speak.	3e	4A	7 10
אִם־יֵשׁ־מִלִּ֥ין הֲשִׁיבֵ֑נִי דַּ֝בֵּ֗ר כִּֽי־חָפַ֥צְתִּי צַדְּקֶֽךָּ	32		If there are speeches, give me your riposte. Speak, for I am delighted to justify you.	3e	4A	8 8
אִם־אַ֭יִן אַתָּ֥ה שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י הַ֝חֲרֵ֗שׁ וַאֲאַלֶּפְךָ֥ חָכְמָֽה ס	33		If there is none from you, Hear me. Keep silence, and I will captain your wisdom.	3e	4A	7 11