Job 32–37

So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was ^arighteous in his own eyes. ²Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel ^bthe Buzite, of the kindred of ^bRam: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself ^crather than God. ³Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had ^dcondemned Job. ⁴Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he. ⁵When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.

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

I am young, and ye are ^every old;

Wherefore I was afraid, and durst not ^eeshew you mine ^fopinion.

⁷I said, Days should speak,

And multitude of years should teach wisdom.

⁸But there is ^ga spirit in man:

And ^hthe ^ginspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

⁹ⁱGreat men are not always wise:

^kNeither do the aged understand judgment.

¹⁰Therefore I said, Hearken to me;

I also will shew mine ^fopinion.

¹¹Behold, I waited for your words;

I gave ear to your reasons,

Whilst you searched out what to say.

¹²Yea, I ^lattended unto you,

And behold, there was none of you that convinced Job,

Or that answered his words:

¹³Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom:

God ^mthrusteth him down, not man.

¹⁴Now he hath not directed his words against me:

Neither will I answer him with your speeches.

¹⁵They were amazed, they answered no more:

They left off speaking.

¹⁶When I had waited, (for they spake not,

But stood still, and answered no more:)

¹⁷ⁿI said, I will answer also my part,

I also ^owill shew mine ^fopinion.

¹⁸For I am full of matter,

The spirit within me constraineth me.

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

It is ready to burst like ^pnew bottles.

²⁰I will speak, that I may be refreshed:

I will open my lips and answer.

²¹Let me not, I pray you, ^qaccept any man’s person,

Neither let me ^rgive flattering titles unto man.

²²For I know not ^rto give flattering titles;

In so doing my Maker would soon take me away.

XXXIII.Wherefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches,

And hearken to all my words.

^2aBehold now I have opened my mouth,

My tongue hath spoken in my mouth.

^3bMy words shall be of the uprightness of my heart:

And my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.

⁴The Spirit of God hath made me,

And ^cthe breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

⁵If thou canst, ^danswer me,

Set ^ethy words in order before me, stand up.

⁶Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead:

I also am formed out of ^fthe clay.

⁷Behold, ^gmy terror shall not make thee afraid,

Neither shall ^hmy hand be heavy upon thee.

⁸Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing,

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

⁹ⁱI am clean ^jwithout transgression,

I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.

¹⁰Behold, he findeth ^koccasions against me,

^lHe counteth me for his enemy,

^11mHe putteth my feet in the stocks,

^mnHe marketh all my paths.

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

That God is greater than man.

¹³Why dost thou ^ostrive against him?

For he giveth not account of any of his matters.

¹⁴For God speaketh once,

Yea twice, yet man ^pperceiveth it not.

^15qIn a dream, ^rin a vision of the night,

^rWhen deep sleep falleth upon men,

In slumberings upon the bed;

¹⁶Then he openeth the ears of men,

And ^ssealeth their instruction.

¹⁷That he may withdraw man from his purpose,

And hide ^tpride from man.

¹⁸He keepeth back his soul from the pit,

And his life from perishing by ^uthe sword.

¹⁹He is chastened also with pain upon his bed,

And the multitude of his bones with strong pain:

²⁰So that ^whis life abhorreth bread,

And his soul dainty meat.

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

And his bones that were not seen ^xstick out.

²²Yea, his ^ysoul draweth near unto the grave,

And his ^ylife to the destroyers.

²³If there be a ^zmessenger with him, an ^ainterpreter,

^bOne among ^ca thousand,

To shew unto man ^dhis uprightness:

²⁴Then he is gracious unto him, and saith,

Deliver him from going down to the pit:

I have ^efound a ransom.

^25fHis flesh shall be fresher than a child’s:

He ^fshall return to the days of his youth:

²⁶He shall ^gpray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him:

And ^hhe shall see his face ⁱwith joy:

For he will render unto man his righteousness.

²⁷He ^klooketh upon men, and if any ^lsay,

I ^mhave sinned, and ^mperverted that which was right,

And it profited me not;

²⁸He will deliver ⁿhis soul from going into the pit,

And his life ^oshall see the light.

²⁹Lo, all these things worketh God

Oftentimes with man,

^30pTo bring back his soul from the pit,

To be enlightened ^qwith the light of the living.

³¹Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me:

Hold thy peace, and I will speak.

³²If thou hast any thing to say, ^ranswer me:

^sSpeak, for I desire to justify thee.

³³If not, hearken unto me:

Hold thy peace, and I shall ^tteach thee wisdom.

XXXIV.Furthermore Elihu ^aanswered and said,

²Hear my words, O ye wise men;

And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

^3bFor the ear trieth words,

As the mouth tasteth meat.

^4cLet us choose to us judgment:

Let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵For Job hath said, ^dI am righteous:

And ^eGod hath taken away my judgment.

^6fShould I lie against my right?

My wound is incurable ^gwithout transgression.

⁷What man is like Job,

^hWho drinketh up scorning like water?

⁸Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity,

And walketh with wicked men.

⁹For ⁱhe hath said, It ^kprofiteth a man nothing

That he should delight himself with God.

¹⁰Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding:

^lFar be it from God, ^mthat he should do wickedness;

And from the Almighty, ⁿthat he should commit iniquity.

^11oFor the work of a man shall he render unto him,

And cause every man to find ^paccording to his ways.

¹²Yea, surely God will not do wickedly,

Neither will ^qthe Almighty pervert judgment.

¹³Who hath ^rgiven him a charge over the earth?

Or ^swho hath disposed the whole world?

¹⁴If he ^tset his heart upon man,

If he ^ugather unto himself his ^vspirit and his breath;

¹⁵All flesh shall ^uperish together,

And man ^uwshall turn again unto dust.

¹⁶If now thou hast understanding, ^xhear this:

Hearken to the voice of my words.

^17yShall even he that hateth right govern?

And wilt thou condemn him that is most just?

¹⁸Is it fit ^zto say to a king, Thou art ^awicked?

And to princes, Ye are ungodly?

¹⁹How much less to him that ^baccepteth not the persons of princes,

Nor regardeth the ^crich more than the poor?

For ^dthey all are the work of his hands.

^20eIn a moment shall they die,

And the people shall be troubled ^fat midnight, and pass away:

And the mighty shall be taken away ^gwithout hand.

^21hFor his eyes are upon the ways of man,

And he seeth all his ⁱgoings.

^22kThere is no darkness, nor ^lshadow of death,

Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

²³For he will not lay upon man more than right;

That he should enter into judgment with God.

²⁴He shall ^llbreak in pieces mighty men without number,

And set ^mothers in their stead.

²⁵Therefore he knoweth their works,

And he ⁿoverturneth them ^oin the night, so that they are destroyed.

²⁶He ^pstriketh them as wicked men

In the open sight of others;

²⁷Because they turned back from him,

And would not ^qconsider any of his ways:

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

And ^she heareth the cry of the afflicted.

²⁹When he ^tgiveth quietness, who then can make trouble?

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

Whether it be done against a nation,

Or against a man only:

³⁰That the hypocrite reign not,

Lest ^xthe people be ensnared.

³¹Surely it is meet to be said unto God,

I ^yhave borne chastisement, I will not ^zoffend any more:

^32aThat which I see not teach thou me:

If I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

³³Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it,

Whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I:

Therefore ^bspeak what thou knowest.

³⁴Let men of understanding tell me,

And let a wise man hearken unto me.

³⁵Job hath spoken ^cwithout knowledge,

And his words were without wisdom.

³⁶My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end

Because of his answers for wicked men.

³⁷For he addeth rebellion unto his sin,

He clappeth ^dhis hands amongst us,

And multiplieth his words against God.

XXXV.Elihu ^aspake moreover, and said, ²Thinkest thou this to be right,

That thou saidst, ^bMy righteousness is more than God’s?

³For thou saidst, ^cWhat advantage will it be unto thee?

And, ^dWhat profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

⁴I will answer thee,

And ^ethy companions with thee.

^5fLook unto the heavens, and see;

And behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

⁶If thou sinnest, ^gwhat doest thou against him?

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

^7hIf thou be righteous, what givest thou him?

Or what receiveth he of thine hand?

⁸Thy wickedness may hurt ⁱa man as thou art;

And thy righteousness may profit ⁱthe son of man.

⁹By reason of the multitude of ^koppressions they ^lmake the oppressed to cry:

They ^lcry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.

¹⁰But none saith, Where is God ^mmy Maker,

ⁿWho giveth songs ^oin the night;

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

And maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

¹²There they cry, ^pbut none giveth answer,

Because of the pride of evil men.

¹³Surely God will not hear vanity,

Neither will the Almighty ^qregard it.

¹⁴Although thou sayest ^rthou shalt not see him,

Yet judgment is before him; therefore ^strust thou in him.

¹⁵But now, because it is not so, he hath ^tvisited in his anger;

Yet he knoweth it not in great extremity:

¹⁶Therefore doth Job ^uopen his mouth ^xin vain;

He ^ymultiplieth words ^zwithout knowledge.

XXXVI.Elihu also proceeded, and said,

²Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee

That I have yet to speak on God’s behalf.

³I will fetch my ^aknowledge from afar,

And will ascribe righteousness to ^bmy Maker.

⁴For…