Job 32–37

ELIHU’S ANGRY RESPONSE

32So these three men quit answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.^{n 2}Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite^o from the family of Ram became angry. He was angry at Job because he had justified^p himself rather than God. ³He was also angry at Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute him and yet had condemned him.^D

⁴Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were all older than he. ⁵But when he saw that the three men could not answer Job, he became angry.

⁶So Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite replied:

I am young in years,

while you are old;

therefore I was timid and afraid

to tell^a you what I know.

⁷I thought that age should speak

and maturity should teach wisdom.

⁸But it is the spirit in a person—

the breath^b from the Almighty—

that gives anyone understanding.

⁹It is not only the old who are wise

or the elderly who understand how to judge.

¹⁰Therefore I say, “Listen to me.

I too will declare what I know.”

¹¹Look, I waited for your conclusions;

I listened to your insights

as you sought for words.

¹²I paid close attention to you.

Yet no one proved Job wrong;

not one of you refuted his arguments.

¹³So do not claim, “We have found wisdom;

let God deal with him, not man.”

¹⁴But Job has not directed his argument to me,

and I will not respond to him with your arguments.

¹⁵Job’s friends are dismayed and can no longer answer;

words have left them.

¹⁶Should I continue to wait now that they are silent,

now that they stand there and no longer answer?

¹⁷I too will answer;^A

yes, I will tell what I know.

¹⁸For I am full of words,

and my spirit^B compels me to speak.^c

¹⁹My heart^C is like unvented wine;

it is about to burst like new wineskins.^d

²⁰I must speak so that I can find relief;

I must open my lips and respond.

²¹I will be partial to no one,^e

and I will not give anyone an undeserved title.

²²For I do not know how to give such titles;

otherwise, my Maker would remove me in an instant.

ELIHU CONFRONTS JOB

33But now, Job, pay attention to my speech,

and listen to all my words.

²I am going to open my mouth;

my tongue will form words on my palate.

³My words come from my upright^f heart,

and my lips speak with sincerity what they know.

⁴The Spirit of God has made me,

and the breath of the Almighty^g gives me life.^h

⁵Refute me if you can.

Prepareⁱ your case against me; take your stand.^j

⁶I am just like you before God;

I was also pinched off from a piece of clay.^k

⁷Fear^l of me should not terrify you;

no pressure from me should weigh you down.

⁸Surely you have spoken in my hearing,

and I have heard these very^A words:

⁹“I am pure, without transgression;

I am clean and have no iniquity.^m

¹⁰But he finds reasons to oppose me;

he regards me as his enemy.ⁿ

¹¹He puts my feet in the stocks;

he stands watch^o over all my paths.”

¹²But I tell you that you are wrong in this matter,

since God is greater than man.^p

¹³Why do you take^q him to court

for not answering anything a person asks?^B

¹⁴For God speaks time and again,

but a person may not notice it.

¹⁵In a dream, a vision^r in the night,

when deep sleep comes over people^s

as they slumber on their beds,

¹⁶he uncovers their ears^t

and terrifies them^C with warnings,

¹⁷in order to turn a person from his actions

and suppress the pride of a person.

¹⁸God spares his soul from the Pit,^u

his life from crossing the river of death.^D

¹⁹A person may be disciplined on his bed^v with pain

and constant distress in his bones,^a

²⁰so that he detests bread,

and his soul despises his favorite food.^b

²¹His flesh wastes away to nothing,^E

and his unseen bones stick out.

²²He draws near to the Pit,

and his life to the executioners.

²³If there is an angel^c on his side,

one mediator out of a thousand,

to tell a person what is right for him^F

²⁴and to be gracious to him and say,

“Spare him from going down to the Pit;

I have found a ransom,”^d

²⁵then his flesh will be healthier^G than in his youth,

and he will return to the days of his youthful vigor.^e

²⁶He will pray to God, and God will delight in him.

That person will see his face^f with a shout of joy,

and God will restore his righteousness to him.^g

²⁷He will look at men and say,

“I have sinned and perverted what was right;

yet I did not get what I deserved.^H

²⁸He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit,

and I will continue to see the light.”

²⁹God certainly does all these things

two or three times to a person

³⁰in order to turn him back from the Pit,

so he may shine with the light of life.^h

³¹Pay attention, Job, and listen to me.

Be quiet, and I will speak.

³²But if you have something to say,^A answer me;

speak, for I would like to justify you.

³³If not, then listen to me;

be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.

34Then Elihu continued,^B saying:

²Hear my words, you wise ones,

and listen to me, you knowledgeable ones.

³Doesn’t the ear test words

as the palate tastes food?

⁴Let us judge for ourselves what is right;

let us decide together what is good.

⁵For Job has declared, “I am righteous,

yet God has deprived me of justice.ⁱ

⁶Would I lie about my case?^j

My wound^C is incurable,

though I am without transgression.”

⁷What man is like Job?

He drinks derision^k like water.

⁸He keeps company with evildoers

and walks with wicked men.

⁹For he has said, “A man gains nothing

when he becomes God’s friend.”^l

¹⁰Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding.

It is impossible for God to do wrong,

and for the Almighty to act unjustly.^m

¹¹For he repaysⁿ a person according to his deeds,

and he gives him what his conduct deserves.^D

¹²Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly

and the Almighty does not pervert justice.^o

¹³Who gave him authority over the earth?

Who put him in charge of the entire world?^p

¹⁴If he put his mind to it

and withdrew the spirit^q and breath he gave,

¹⁵every living thing would perish together

and mankind would return to the dust.^r

¹⁶If you have understanding, hear this;

listen to what I have to say.

¹⁷Could one who hates justice govern the world?

Will you condemn the mighty Righteous One,^s

¹⁸who says to a king, “Worthless man!”

and to nobles, “Wicked men!”?^t

¹⁹God is not partial^u to princes

and does not favor the rich over the poor,

for they are all the work of his hands.

²⁰They die suddenly in the middle of the night;

people shudder, then pass away.

Even the mighty are removed without effort.

²¹For his eyes watch over a man’s ways,

and he observes all his steps.^a

²²There is no darkness, no deep darkness,

where evildoers can hide.^b

²³God does not need to examine a person further,

that one should^A approach him in court.

²⁴He shatters the mighty without an investigation

and sets others in their place.^c

²⁵Therefore, he recognizes their deeds^d

and overthrows them by night, and they are crushed.

²⁶In full view of the public,^B

he strikes them for their wickedness,

²⁷because they turned aside from following him

and did not understand any of his ways

²⁸but caused the poor to cry out to him,

and he heard the outcry of the needy.^e

²⁹But when God is silent, who can declare him guilty?

When he hides his face, who can see him?

Yet he watches over both individuals and nations,

³⁰so that godless men should not rule

or ensnare the people.

³¹Suppose someone says to God,

“I have endured my punishment;

I will no longer act wickedly.

³²Teach me what I cannot see;

if I have done wrong, I won’t do it again.”

³³Should God repay you on your terms

when you have rejected his?

You must choose, not I!

So declare what you know.

³⁴Reasonable men will say to me,

along with the wise men who hear me,

³⁵“Job speaks without knowledge;^f

his words are without insight.”

³⁶If only Job were tested to the limit,

because his answers are like those of wicked men.

³⁷For he adds rebellion to his sin;

he scornfully claps^g in our presence,

while multiplying^h his words against God.

35Then Elihu continued, saying:

²Do you think it is just when you say,

“I am righteous before God”?

³For you ask, “What does it profit you,^C

and what benefit comes to me, if I do not sin?”ⁱ

⁴I will answer you

and your friends with you.

⁵Look at the heavens and see;

gaze at the clouds high above you.

⁶If you sin, how does it affect God?

If you multiply your transgressions, what does it do to him?

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

or what does he receive from your hand?^j

⁸Your wickedness affects a person like yourself,

and your righteousness, a son of man.^A

⁹People cry out because of severe oppression;

they shout for help because of the power of the mighty.^k

¹⁰But no one asks, “Where is God my Maker,^l

who provides us with songs in the night,^m

¹¹who gives us more understanding than the animals of the earth

and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?”ⁿ

¹²There they cry out, but he does not answer,

because of the pride of evil people.^o

¹³Indeed, God does not listen to empty cries,

and the Almighty does not take note of it—

¹⁴how much less when^B you complain^C

that you do not see him,

that your case^a is before him

and you are waiting^b for him.

¹⁵But now, because God’s anger does not punish

and he does not pay attention to transgression,^D

¹⁶Job opens his mouth in vain

and multiplies words without knowledge.^c

36Then Elihu continued, saying:

²Be patient with me a little longer, and I will inform you,

for there is still more to be said on God’s behalf.

³I will get my knowledge from a distant place

and ascribe justice to my Maker.

⁴Indeed, my words are not false;

one who has complete knowledge is with you.

⁵Yes, God is mighty, but he despises no one;

he understands all things.^Ed

⁶He does not keep the wicked alive,^e

but he gives justice to the oppressed.

⁷He does not withdraw his gaze from the righteous,

but he seats them forever with enthroned kings,

and they are exalted.

⁸If people are bound with chains

and trapped by the cords of affliction,

⁹God tells them what they have done

and how arrogantly they have transgressed.

¹⁰He opens their ears^f to correction

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