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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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a 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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b Truly I am 1 as your spokesman before God;
I also have been formed out of clay.
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c Surely no fear of me will terrify you,
Nor will my hand be heavy on you.
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"Surely you have spoken 2 in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying,
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'I d am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.
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Yet He finds occasions against me,
e He counts me as His enemy;
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f 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 g contend with Him?
For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.
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h For God may speak in one way, or in another,
Yet man does not perceive it.
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i In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
While slumbering on their beds,
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j 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 3 perishing by the sword.
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" Man is also chastened with pain on his k bed,
And with strong pain in many of his bones,
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l So that his life abhors m bread,
And his soul 4 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 5 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 n says,
'I have sinned, and perverted what was right,
And it o did not profit me.'
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He will p redeem 6 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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q 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, r listen to me;
7 Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom."