Job 32–37

32So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. ²Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God. ³Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. ⁴Now Elihu had waited to speak unto Job, because they were elder than he. ⁵And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was kindled.

⁶And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said,

I am young, and ye are very old;

Wherefore I held back, and durst not show you mine opinion.

⁷I said, Days should speak,

And multitude of years should teach wisdom.

⁸But there is a spirit in man,

And the breath of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

⁹It is not the great that are wise,

Nor the aged that understand justice.

¹⁰Therefore I said, Hearken to me;

I also will show mine opinion.

¹¹Behold, I waited for your words,

I listened for your reasonings,

Whilst ye searched out what to say.

¹²Yea, I attended unto you,

And, behold, there was none that convinced Job,

Or that answered his words, among you.

¹³Beware lest ye say, We have found wisdom;

God may vanquish him, not man:

¹⁴For he hath not directed his words against me;

Neither will I answer him with your speeches.

¹⁵They are amazed, they answer no more:

They have not a word to say.

¹⁶And shall I wait, because they speak not,

Because they stand still, and answer no more?

¹⁷I also will answer my part,

I also will show mine opinion.

¹⁸For I am full of words;

The spirit within me constraineth me.

¹⁹Behold, my breast is as wine which hath no vent;

Like new wine-skins it is ready to burst.

²⁰I will speak, that I may be refreshed;

I will open my lips and answer.

²¹Let me not, I pray you, respect any man’s person;

Neither will I give flattering titles unto any man.

²²For I know not to give flattering titles;

Else would my Maker soon take me away.

33Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear my speech,

And hearken to all my words.

²Behold now, I have opened my mouth;

My tongue hath spoken in my mouth.

³My words shall utter the uprightness of my heart;

And that which my lips know they shall speak sincerely.

⁴The Spirit of God hath made me,

And the breath of the Almighty giveth me life.

⁵If thou canst, answer thou me;

Set thy words in order before me, stand forth.

⁶Behold, I am toward God even as thou art:

I also am formed out of the clay.

⁷Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid,

Neither shall my pressure be heavy upon thee.

⁸Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing,

And I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,

⁹I am clean, without transgression;

I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me:

¹⁰Behold, he findeth occasions against me,

He counteth me for his enemy:

¹¹He putteth my feet in the stocks,

He marketh all my paths.

¹²Behold, I will answer thee, in this thou art not just;

For God is greater than man.

¹³Why dost thou strive against him,

For that he giveth not account of any of his matters?

¹⁴For God speaketh once,

Yea twice, though man regardeth it not.

¹⁵In a dream, in a vision of the night,

When deep sleep falleth upon men,

In slumberings upon the bed;

¹⁶Then he openeth the ears of men,

And sealeth their instruction,

¹⁷That he may withdraw man from his purpose,

And hide pride from man;

¹⁸He keepeth back his soul from the pit,

And his life from perishing by the sword.

¹⁹He is chastened also with pain upon his bed,

And with continual strife in his bones;

²⁰So that his life abhorreth bread,

And his soul dainty food.

²¹His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen;

And his bones that were not seen stick out.

²²Yea, his soul draweth near unto the pit,

And his life to the destroyers.

²³If there be with him an angel,

An interpreter, one among a thousand,

To show unto man what is right for him;

²⁴Then God is gracious unto him, and saith,

Deliver him from going down to the pit,

I have found a ransom.

²⁵His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s;

He returneth to the days of his youth.

²⁶He prayeth unto God, and he is favorable unto him,

So that he seeth his face with joy:

And he restoreth unto man his righteousness.

²⁷He singeth before men, and saith,

I have sinned, and perverted that which was right,

And it profited me not:

²⁸He hath redeemed my soul from going into the pit,

And my life shall behold the light.

²⁹Lo, all these things doth God work,

Twice, yea thrice, with a man,

³⁰To bring back his soul from the pit,

That he may be enlightened with the light of the living.

³¹Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me:

Hold thy peace, and I will speak.

³²If thou hast anything to say, answer me:

Speak, for I desire to justify thee.

³³If not, hearken thou unto me:

Hold thy peace, and I will teach thee wisdom.

34Moreover Elihu answered and said,

²Hear my words, ye wise men;

And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

³For the ear trieth words,

As the palate tasteth food.

⁴Let us choose for us that which is right:

Let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵For Job hath said, I am righteous,

And God hath taken away my right:

⁶Notwithstanding my right I am accounted a liar;

My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.

⁷What man is like Job,

Who drinketh up scoffing like water,

⁸Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity,

And walketh with wicked men?

⁹For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing

That he should delight himself with God.

¹⁰Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding:

Far be it from God, that he should do wickedness,

And from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

¹¹For the work of a man will he render unto him,

And cause every man to find according to his ways.

¹²Yea, of a surety, God will not do wickedly,

Neither will the Almighty pervert justice.

¹³Who gave him a charge over the earth?

Or who hath disposed the whole world?

¹⁴If he set his heart upon himself,

If he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;

¹⁵All flesh shall perish together,

And man shall turn again unto dust.

¹⁶If now thou hast understanding, hear this:

Hearken to the voice of my words.

¹⁷Shall even one that hateth justice govern?

And wilt thou condemn him that is righteous and mighty?—

¹⁸Him that saith to a king, Thou art vile,

Or to nobles, Ye are wicked;

¹⁹That respecteth not the persons of princes,

Nor regardeth the rich more than the poor;

For they all are the work of his hands.

²⁰In a moment they die, even at midnight;

The people are shaken and pass away,

And the mighty are taken away without hand.

²¹For his eyes are upon the ways of a man,

And he seeth all his goings.

²²There is no darkness, nor thick gloom,

Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

²³For he needeth not further to consider a man,

That he should go before God in judgment.

²⁴He breaketh in pieces mighty men in ways past finding out,

And setteth others in their stead.

²⁵Therefore he taketh knowledge of their works;

And he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.

²⁶He striketh them as wicked men

In the open sight of others;

²⁷Because they turned aside from following him,

And would not have regard in any of his ways:

²⁸So that they caused the cry of the poor to come unto him,

And he heard the cry of the afflicted.

²⁹When he giveth quietness, who then can condemn?

And when he hideth his face, who then can behold him?

Alike whether it be done unto a nation, or unto a man:

³⁰That the godless man reign not,

That there be none to ensnare the people.

³¹For hath any said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:

³²That which I see not teach thou me:

If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more?

³³Shall his recompense be as thou wilt, that thou refusest it?

For thou must choose, and not I:

Therefore speak what thou knowest.

³⁴Men of understanding will say unto me,

Yea, every wise man that heareth me:

³⁵Job speaketh without knowledge,

And his words are without wisdom.

³⁶Would that Job were tried unto the end,

Because of his answering like wicked men.

³⁷For he addeth rebellion unto his sin;

He clappeth his hands among us,

And multiplieth his words against God.

35Moreover Elihu answered and said,

²Thinkest thou this to be thy right,

Or sayest thou, My righteousness is more than God’s,

³That thou sayest, What advantage will it be unto thee?

And, What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?

⁴I will answer thee,

And thy companions with thee.

⁵Look unto the heavens, and see;

And behold the skies, which are higher than thou.

⁶If thou hast sinned, what effectest thou against him?

And if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

⁷If thou be righteous, what givest thou him?

Or what receiveth he of thy hand?

⁸Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art;

And thy righteousness may profit a son of man.

⁹By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;

They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty.

¹⁰But none saith, Where is God my Maker,

Who giveth songs in the night,

¹¹Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth,

And maketh us wiser than the birds of the heavens?

¹²There they cry, but none giveth answer,

Because of the pride of evil men.

¹³Surely God will not hear an empty cry,

Neither will the Almighty regard it.

¹⁴How much less when thou sayest thou beholdest him not,

The cause is before him, and thou waitest for him!

¹⁵But now, because he hath not visited in his anger,

Neither doth he greatly regard arrogance;

¹⁶Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vanity;

He multiplieth words without knowledge.

36Elihu also proceeded, and said,

²Suffer me a little, and I will show thee;

For I have yet somewhat to say on God’s behalf.

³I will fetch my knowledge from afar,

And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

⁴For truly my words are not false:

One that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

⁵Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any:

He is mighty in strength of understanding.

⁶He preserveth not the life of the wicked,

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