Job 32–37

32ND CHAPTER

Elihu Decides to Speak to Job

¹These three men stopped answering Job because Job thought he was righteous. ²Then Elihu, son of Barachel, a descendant of Buz from the family of Ram, became very angry with Job because Job thought he was more righteous than God. ³Elihu was also very angry with Job’s three friends because they had found no answer. They made it look as if God^awere wrong. ⁴Elihu waited as they spoke to Job because they were older than he was. ⁵When Elihu saw that the three men had no further responses, he became very angry. 

Elihu Speaks:

the Reason for Elihu’s Discourse

⁶So Elihu, son of Barachel, the descendant of Buz, replied ⸤to Job⸥, 

“I am young, and you are old. 

That’s why I refrained from speaking 

and was afraid to tell you what I know. 

⁷I thought, ‘Age should speak, 

and experience should teach wisdom.’ 

⁸However, there is in humans a Spirit, 

the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding. 

⁹People do not become wise merely because they live long. 

They don’t understand what justice is merely because they’re old. 

¹⁰“That is why I say, ‘Listen to me! 

Let me tell you what I know.’ 

¹¹I waited for you to speak. 

I listened for you to share your understanding 

until you could find the right words. 

¹²I’ve paid close attention to you, 

but none of you refuted Job. 

None of you has an answer to what he says. 

¹³So don’t say, ‘We’ve found wisdom. 

Let God, not humans, defeat him.’ 

¹⁴Job did not choose his words to refute me, 

so I won’t answer him with your speeches. 

¹⁵“Job’s friends have been overwhelmed and don’t have any more answers. 

They don’t have another word to say. 

¹⁶Should I wait because they don’t speak, 

because they stand there and don’t have any more answers? 

¹⁷“I’ll give my answer. 

I’ll tell you what I know. 

¹⁸I’m full of words. 

The Spirit within me forces me ⸤to speak⸥. 

¹⁹My belly is like ⸤a bottle of⸥ wine that has not been opened, 

like new wineskins that are ready to burst. 

²⁰I must speak to get relief. 

I must open my mouth and answer. 

²¹I won’t be partial toward anyone 

or flatter anyone. 

²²I don’t know how to flatter. 

If I did, my maker would soon carry me away. 

33RD CHAPTER

Elihu Continues: Listen, Job

¹“Please, Job, listen to my words 

and consider everything I say. 

²I’ve opened my mouth. 

The words are on the tip of my tongue. 

³My words are straight from the heart, 

and I sincerely speak the knowledge that is on my lips. 

⁴“God’s Spirit has made me. 

The breath of the Almighty gives me life. 

⁵Answer me if you can. 

Present your case to me, and take your stand. 

⁶Indeed, I stand in front of God as you do. 

I, too, was formed from a piece of clay. 

⁷You certainly don’t need to be terrified of me. 

I won’t put too much pressure on you. 

God Doesn’t Have to Answer You, Job

⁸“But you spoke directly to me, 

and I listened to your words. 

⁹⸤You said,⸥ ‘I’m pure—without any rebellious acts ⸤against God⸥. 

I’m clean; I have no sin. 

¹⁰God is only looking for an excuse to attack me. 

He considers me his enemy. 

¹¹He puts my feet in the stocks and watches all my paths.’ 

¹²You aren’t right about this! 

I’ve got an answer for you: 

God is greater than any mortal. 

¹³Why do you quarrel with him 

since he doesn’t answer any questions? 

Two Ways God Warns People

¹⁴“God speaks in one way, 

even in two ways without people noticing it: 

¹⁵In a dream, a prophetic vision at night, 

when people fall into a deep sleep, 

when they sleep on their beds, 

¹⁶he opens people’s ears 

and terrifies them with warnings. 

¹⁷⸤He warns them⸥ to turn away from doing ⸤wrong⸥ 

and to stop being arrogant.^a

¹⁸He keeps their souls from the pit 

and their lives from crossing the River ⸤of Death⸥. 

¹⁹In pain on their sickbeds, they are disciplined 

with endless aching in their bones 

²⁰so that their whole being hates food 

and they lose their appetite for a delicious meal. 

²¹Their flesh becomes so thin that it can’t be seen. 

Their bones, not seen before, will be exposed. 

²²Their souls approach the pit. 

Their lives come close to those already dead. 

A Third Way God Warns People

²³“If they have a messenger for them, 

a spokesman, one in a thousand, 

to tell people what is right for them, 

²⁴then he will have pity on them and say, 

‘Free them from going into the pit. 

I have found a ransom.’ 

²⁵Then their flesh will become softer than a child’s. 

They will go back to the days of their youth. 

²⁶They will pray to God, who will be pleased with them. 

They will see God’s face and shout for joy 

as he restores their righteousness.^b

²⁷Each one sings in front of other people and says, 

‘I sinned and did wrong instead of what was right, 

and it did me no good. 

²⁸The messenger has freed my soul from going into the pit, 

and my life will see the light.’ 

²⁹Truly, God does all this two or three times with people 

³⁰to turn their souls away from the pit 

and to enlighten them with the light of life. 

Pay Attention, Job

³¹“Pay attention, Job! Listen to me! 

Keep quiet, and let me speak. 

³²If you have a response, answer me. 

Speak, because I’d be happy if you were right. 

³³If not, you listen to me. 

Keep quiet, and I’ll teach you wisdom.” 

34TH CHAPTER

Elihu Continues: Listen, Everyone

¹Elihu continued to speak ⸤to Job and his friends⸥, 

²“Listen to my words, you wise men. 

Open your ears to me, you intelligent men. 

³The ear tests words 

like the tongue tastes food. 

⁴Let’s decide for ourselves what is right 

and agree among ourselves as to what is good, 

⁵because Job has said, 

‘I’m righteous, but God has taken away my rights. 

⁶I’m considered a liar in spite of my rights. 

I’ve been wounded by a deadly arrow, 

though I haven’t been disobedient.’ 

⁷What person is like Job, 

who drinks scorn like water, 

⁸who travels with troublemakers 

and associates with evil people? 

⁹He says, ‘It doesn’t do any good to try to please God.’ 

¹⁰“You people who have understanding, listen to me. 

It is unthinkable that God would ever do evil 

or that the Almighty would ever do wicked things. 

¹¹God will repay humanity for what it has done 

and will give each person what he deserves. 

¹²Certainly, God will never do anything evil, 

and the Almighty will never pervert justice. 

¹³Who put him in charge of the earth? 

Who appointed him to be over the whole world? 

¹⁴If he thought only of himself 

and withdrew his Spirit and his breath, 

¹⁵all living beings would die together, 

and humanity would return to dust. 

God Is Fair

¹⁶“If you understand, listen to this. 

Open your ears to my words! 

¹⁷Should anyone who hates justice be allowed to govern? 

Will you condemn the one who is righteous and mighty? 

¹⁸Should anyone ⸤even⸥ say to a king, 

‘You good-for-nothing scoundrel!’ 

or to nobles, ‘You wicked people!’ 

¹⁹The one who is righteous and mighty 

does not grant special favors to princes 

or prefer important people over poor people 

because his hands made them all. 

²⁰They die suddenly in the middle of the night. 

People have seizures and pass away. 

Mighty people are taken away but not by human hands. 

²¹God’s eyes are on a person’s ways. 

He sees all his steps. 

²²There’s no darkness or deep shadow 

where troublemakers can hide. 

²³He doesn’t have to set a time for a person 

in order to bring him to divine judgment. 

²⁴He breaks mighty people into pieces without examining them 

and puts others in their places. 

²⁵He knows what they do, 

so he overthrows them at night, and they’re crushed. 

²⁶In return for their evil, he strikes them in public, 

²⁷because they turned away from following him 

and didn’t consider any of his ways. 

²⁸They forced the poor to cry out to him, 

and he hears the cry of those who suffer. 

²⁹If he keeps quiet, who can condemn him? 

If he hides his face, who can see him 

whether it is a nation or a single person? 

³⁰⸤He does this⸥ so that godless people cannot rule 

and so that they cannot trap people. 

³¹“But suppose such a person says to God, ‘I am guilty, 

I will stop my immoral behavior. 

³²Teach me what I cannot see. 

If I’ve done wrong, I won’t do it again.’ 

³³Should God reward you on your own terms since you have rejected his? 

You must choose, not I. 

Tell me what you know. Speak! 

Elihu Makes an Appeal to God

³⁴“People of understanding, the wise people 

who listen to me, will say, 

³⁵‘Job speaks without knowledge. 

His words show no insight.’ 

³⁶“My Father, let Job be thoroughly tested 

for giving answers like wicked people do. 

³⁷He adds disobedience to his sin. 

He claps his hands to insult us. 

He multiplies his words against God.” 

35TH CHAPTER

Elihu Continues: I Will Answer You and Your Friends, Job

¹Elihu continued to speak ⸤to Job and his friends⸥, 

²“Do you think this is right 

when you say, ‘My case is more just than God’s,’ 

³when you ask, ‘What benefit is it to you?’ 

and, ‘What would I gain by sinning?’ 

⁴I will answer you and your friends. 

Human Behavior Cannot Change God

⁵“Look at the heavens and see. 

Observe the clouds high above you. 

⁶If you’ve sinned, what effect can you have on God? 

If you’ve done many wrongs, what can you do to him? 

⁷If you’re righteous, what can you give him, 

or what can he get from you? 

⁸Your wickedness affects only someone like yourself. 

Your righteousness affects only the descendants of Adam. 

⁹The weight of oppression makes them cry out. 

The power of mighty people makes them call for help. 

¹⁰But no one asks, 

‘Where is God, my Creator, 

who inspires songs in the night, 

¹¹who teaches us more than he teaches the animals of the earth, 

who makes us wiser than the birds in the sky?’ 

¹²Then they cry out, but he doesn’t answer them 

because of the arrogance of ⸤those⸥ evil people. 

¹³“Surely, God doesn’t listen to idle complaints. 

The Almighty doesn’t even pay attention to them. 

¹⁴Although you say that you pay attention to him, 

your case is in front of him, but you’ll have to wait for him. 

¹⁵And now ⸤you say⸥ that his anger doesn’t punish ⸤anyone⸥ 

and he isn’t too concerned about evil. 

¹⁶Job opens his mouth for no good reason 

and talks a lot without having any knowledge.” 

36TH CHAPTER

Elihu Continues: Hear Me Out

¹Elihu continued to speak…