Elihu

32 So these three men stopped answering Job,k because he was righteous in his own eyes.l 2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite,m of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himselfn rather than God.o 3 He was also angry with the three friends,p because they had found no way to refute Job,q and yet had condemned him.a r 4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he.s 5 But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.

6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said:

“I am young in years,

and you are old;t

that is why I was fearful,

not daring to tell you what I know.

7 I thought, ‘Age should speak;

advanced years should teach wisdom.’u

8 But it is the spiritb v in a person,

the breath of the Almighty,w that gives them understanding.x

9 It is not only the oldc who are wise,y

not only the agedz who understand what is right.a

10 “Therefore I say: Listen to me;b

I too will tell you what I know.c

11 I waited while you spoke,

I listened to your reasoning;

while you were searching for words,

12 I gave you my full attention.

But not one of you has proved Job wrong;

none of you has answered his arguments.d

13 Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;e

let God, not a man, refutef him.’

14 But Job has not marshaled his words against me,g

and I will not answer him with your arguments.

15 “They are dismayed and have no more to say;

words have failed them.h

16 Must I wait, now that they are silent,

now that they stand there with no reply?

17 I too will have my say;

I too will tell what I know.i

18 For I am full of words,

and the spiritj within me compels me;k

19 inside I am like bottled-up wine,

like new wineskins ready to burst.l

20 I must speak and find relief;

I must open my lips and reply.m

21 I will show no partiality,n

nor will I flatter anyone;o

22 for if I were skilled in flattery,

my Makerp would soon take me away.q

33 “But now, Job, listenr to my words;

pay attention to everything I say.s

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;t

my lips sincerely speak what I know.u

4 The Spiritv of God has made me;w

the breath of the Almightyx gives me life.y

5 Answer mez then, if you can;

stand upa and argue your case before me.b

6 I am the same as you in God’s sight;c

I too am a piece of clay.d

7 No fear of me should alarm you,

nor should my hand be heavy on you.e

8 “But you have said in my hearing—

I heard the very words—

9 ‘I am pure,f I have done no wrong;g

I am clean and free from sin.h

10 Yet God has found fault with me;

he considers me his enemy.i

11 He fastens my feet in shackles;j

he keeps close watch on all my paths.’k

12 “But I tell you, in this you are not right,

for God is greater than any mortal.l

13 Why do you complain to himm

that he responds to no one’s wordsa?n

14 For God does speako—now one way, now anotherp—

though no one perceives it.q

15 In a dream,r in a visions of the night,t

when deep sleepu falls on people

as they slumber in their beds,

16 he may speakv in their ears

and terrify themw with warnings,x

17 to turn them from wrongdoing

and keep them from pride,y

18 to preserve them from the pit,z

their lives from perishing by the sword.b a

19 “Or someone may be chastenedb on a bed of painc

with constant distress in their bones,d

20 so that their body finds foode repulsive

and their soul loathes the choicest meal.f

21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing,

and their bones,g once hidden, now stick out.h

22 They draw near to the pit,i

and their life to the messengers of death.c j

23 Yet if there is an angel at their side,

a messenger,k one out of a thousand,

sent to tell them how to be upright,l

24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God,

‘Spare them from going down to the pit;m

I have found a ransom for themn—

25 let their flesh be renewedo like a child’s;

let them be restored as in the days of their youth’p—

26 then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,q

they will see God’s face and shout for joy;r

he will restore them to full well-being.s

27 And they will go to others and say,

‘I have sinned,t I have perverted what is right,u

but I did not get what I deserved.v

28 God has deliveredw me from going down to the pit,x

and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’y

29 “God does all these things to a personz—

twice, even three timesa—

30 to turn them backb from the pit,c

that the light of lifed may shine on them.e

31 “Pay attention, Job, and listenf to me;g

be silent,h and I will speak.

32 If you have anything to say, answer me;i

speak up, for I want to vindicate you.j

33 But if not, then listen to me;k

be silent,l and I will teach you wisdom.m”

34 Then Elihu said:

2 “Hear my words, you wise men;

listen to me,n you men of learning.

3 For the ear tests words

as the tongue tastes food.o

4 Let us discern for ourselves what is right;p

let us learn together what is good.q

5 “Job says, ‘I am innocent,r

but God denies me justice.s

6 Although I am right,

I am considered a liar;t

although I am guiltless,u

his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.’v

7 Is there anyone like Job,

who drinks scorn like water?w

8 He keeps company with evildoers;

he associates with the wicked.x

9 For he says, ‘There is no profit

in trying to please God.’y

10 “So listen to me,z you men of understanding.a

Far be it from God to do evil,b

from the Almighty to do wrong.c

11 He repays everyone for what they have done;d

he brings on them what their conduct deserves.e

12 It is unthinkable that God would do wrong,f

that the Almighty would pervert justice.g

13 Who appointedh him over the earth?

Who put him in charge of the whole world?i

14 If it were his intention

and he withdrew his spirita j and breath,k

15 all humanity would perishl together

and mankind would return to the dust.m

16 “If you have understanding,n hear this;

listen to what I say.o

17 Can someone who hates justice govern?p

Will you condemn the just and mighty One?q

18 Is he not the One who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’

and to nobles,r ‘You are wicked,’s

19 who shows no partialityt to princes

and does not favor the rich over the poor,u

for they are all the work of his hands?v

20 They die in an instant, in the middle of the night;w

the people are shaken and they pass away;

the mighty are removed without human hand.x

21 “His eyes are on the ways of mortals;y

he sees their every step.z

22 There is no deep shadow,a no utter darkness,b

where evildoers can hide.c

23 God has no need to examine people further,d

that they should come before him for judgment.e

24 Without inquiry he shattersf the mightyg

and sets up others in their place.h

25 Because he takes note of their deeds,i

he overthrows them in the nightj and they are crushed.k

26 He punishes them for their wickednessl

where everyone can see them,

27 because they turned from following himm

and had no regard for any of his ways.n

28 They caused the cry of the poor to come before him,

so that he heard the cry of the needy.o

29 But if he remains silent,p who can condemn him?q

If he hides his face,r who can see him?

Yet he is over individual and nation alike,s

30 to keep the godlesst from ruling,u

from laying snares for the people.v

31 “Suppose someone says to God,

‘I am guiltyw but will offend no more.

32 Teach me what I cannot see;x

if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.’y

33 Should God then reward you on your terms,

when you refuse to repent?z

You must decide, not I;

so tell me what you know.

34 “Men of understanding declare,

wise men who hear me say to me,

35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge;a

his words lack insight.’b

36 Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost

for answering like a wicked man!c

37 To his sin he adds rebellion;

scornfully he claps his handsd among us

and multiplies his wordse against God.”f

35 Then Elihu said:

2 “Do you think this is just?

You say, ‘I am in the right,g not God.’h

3 Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me,a

and what do I gain by not sinning?’i

4 “I would like to reply to you

and to your friends with you.

5 Look up at the heavensj and see;

gaze at the clouds so high above you.k

6 If you sin, how does that affect him?

If your sins are many, what does that do to him?l

7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him,m

or what does he receiven from your hand?o

8 Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself,p

and your righteousness only other people.q

9 “People cry outr under a load of oppression;s

they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful.t

10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,u

who gives songsv in the night,w

11 who teachesx usy more than he teachesb the beasts of the earth

and makes us wiser thanc the birds in the sky?’

12 He does not answerz when people cry out

because of the arrogancea of the wicked.b

13 Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea;

the Almighty pays no attention to it.c

14 How much less, then, will he listen

when you say that you do not see him,d

that your casee is before him

and you must wait for him,f

15 and further, that his anger never punishesg

and he does not take the least notice of wickedness.d h

16 So Job opens his mouth with empty talk;i

without knowledge he multiplies words.”j

36 Elihu continued:

2 “Bear with me a little longer and I will show you

that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.

3 I get my knowledge from afar;k

I will ascribe justice to my Maker.l

4 Be assured that my words are not false;m

one who has perfect knowledgen is with you.o

5 “God is mighty,p but despises no one;q

he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.r

6 He does not keep the wicked alives

but gives the afflicted their rights.t

7 He does not take his eyes off the righteous;u

he enthrones them with kingsv

and exalts them forever.w

8 But if people are bound in chains,x

held fast by cords of affliction,y

9 he tells them what they have done—

that they have sinned arrogantly.z

10 He makes them listena to correctionb

and commands them to repent of their evil.c

11 If they obey and serve him,d

they will spend the rest of