Job 33–37

Elihu Invites Job’s Attention

^33:1“But now, O Job, listen to my words,

and hear¹ everything I have to say!²

^33:2See now, I have opened³ my mouth;

my tongue in my mouth has spoken.⁴

^33:3My words come from the uprightness of my heart,⁵

and my lips will utter knowledge sincerely.⁶

^33:4The Spirit of God has made me,

and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.⁷

^33:5Reply to me, if you can;

set your arguments⁸ in order before me

and take your stand!

^33:6Look, I am just like you in relation to God;

I too have been molded⁹ from clay.

^33:7Therefore no fear of me should terrify you,

nor should my pressure¹⁰ be heavy on you.¹¹

Elihu Rejects Job’s Plea of Innocence

^33:8“Indeed, you have said in my hearing¹²

(I heard the sound of the words!):

^33:913 ‘I am pure, without transgression;

I am clean¹⁴ and have no iniquity.

^33:1015 Yet God¹⁶ finds occasions¹⁷ with me;

he regards me as his enemy!

^33:1118 He puts my feet in shackles;

he watches closely all my paths.’

^33:12Now in this, you are not right—I answer you,¹⁹

for God is greater than a human being.²⁰

^33:13Why do you contend against him,

that he does not answer all a person’s²¹ words?

Elihu Disagrees With Job’s View of God

^33:14“For God speaks, the first time in one way,

the second time in another,

though a person does not perceive²² it.

^33:15In a dream, a night vision,

when deep sleep falls on people

as they sleep in their beds.

^33:16Then he gives a revelation²³ to people,

and terrifies them with warnings,²⁴

^33:17to turn a person from his sin,²⁵

and to cover a person’s pride.²⁶

^33:18He spares a person’s life from corruption,²⁷

his very life from crossing over²⁸ the river.

^33:19Or a person is chastened²⁹ by pain on his bed,

and with the continual strife of his bones,³⁰

^33:20so that his life loathes food,

and his soul rejects appetizing fare.³¹

^33:21His flesh wastes away from sight,

and his bones, which were not seen,

are easily visible.³²

^33:22He³³ draws near to the place of corruption,

and his life to the messengers of death.³⁴

^33:23If there is an angel beside him,

one mediator³⁵ out of a thousand,

to tell a person what constitutes his uprightness;³⁶

^33:24and if³⁷ God³⁸ is gracious to him and says,

‘Spare³⁹ him from going down

to the place of corruption,

I have found a ransom for him,’⁴⁰

^33:25then his flesh is restored⁴¹ like a youth’s;

he returns to the days of his youthful vigor.⁴²

^33:26He entreats God, and God⁴³ delights in him,

he sees God’s face⁴⁴ with rejoicing,

and God⁴⁵ restores to him his righteousness.⁴⁶

^33:27That person sings⁴⁷ to others,⁴⁸ saying:

‘I have sinned and falsified what is right,

but I was not punished according to what I deserved.⁴⁹

^33:28He redeemed my life⁵⁰

from going down to the place of corruption,

and my life sees the light!’

Elihu’s Appeal to Job⁵¹

^33:29“Indeed, God does all these things,

twice, three times, in his dealings⁵² with a person,

^33:30to turn back his life from the place of corruption,

that he may be enlightened with the light of life.

^33:31Pay attention, Job—listen to me;

be silent, and I will speak.

^33:32If you have any words,⁵³ reply to me;

speak, for I want to justify you.⁵⁴

^33:33If not, you listen to me;

be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Elihu’s Second Speech⁵⁵

^34:1Elihu answered:

^34:2“Listen to my words, you wise men;

hear¹ me, you learned men.²

^34:3For the ear assesses³ words

as the mouth⁴ tastes food.

^34:4Let us evaluate⁵ for ourselves what is right;⁶

let us come to know among ourselves what is good.

^34:5For Job says, ‘I am innocent,⁷

but God turns away my right.

^34:6Concerning my right, should I lie?⁸

My wound⁹ is incurable,

although I am without transgression.’¹⁰

^34:7What man is like Job,

who¹¹ drinks derision¹² like water!

^34:8He goes about¹³ in company¹⁴ with evildoers,

he goes along¹⁵ with wicked men.¹⁶

^34:9For he says, ‘It does not profit a man

when he makes his delight with God.’¹⁷

God is Not Unjust

^34:10“Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding.¹⁸

Far be it from¹⁹ God to do wickedness,

from the Almighty to do evil.

^34:11For he repays a person for his work,²⁰

and according to the conduct of a person,

he causes the consequences to find him.²¹

^34:12Indeed, in truth, God does not act wickedly,

and the Almighty does not pervert justice.

^34:13Who entrusted²² to him the earth?

And who put him over²³ the whole world?

^34:14If God²⁴ were to set his heart on it,²⁵

and gather in his spirit and his breath,

^34:15all flesh would perish together

and human beings would return to dust.

God Is Impartial and Omniscient

^34:16“If you have²⁶ understanding, listen to this,

hear what I have to say.²⁷

^34:17Do you really think²⁸

that one who hates justice can govern?²⁹

And will you declare guilty

the supremely righteous³⁰ One,

^34:18who says to a king,³¹ ‘Worthless man’³²

and to nobles, ‘Wicked men,’

^34:19who shows no partiality to princes,

and does not take note of³³ the rich more than the poor,

because all of them are the work of his hands?

^34:20In a moment they die, in the middle of the night,³⁴

people³⁵ are shaken³⁶ and they pass away.

The mighty are removed effortlessly.³⁷

^34:21For his eyes are on the ways of an individual,

he observes all a person’s³⁸ steps.

^34:22There is no darkness, and no deep darkness,

where evildoers can hide themselves.³⁹

^34:23For he does not still consider a person,⁴⁰

that he should come before God in judgment.

^34:24He shatters the great without inquiry,⁴¹

and sets up others in their place.

^34:25Therefore, he knows their deeds,

he overthrows them⁴² in the night⁴³

and they are crushed.

^34:26He strikes them for their wickedness,⁴⁴

in a place where people can see,⁴⁵

^34:27because they have turned away from following him,

and have not understood⁴⁶ any of his ways,

^34:28so that they caused⁴⁷ the cry of the poor

to come before him,

so that he hears⁴⁸ the cry of the needy.

^34:29But if God⁴⁹ is quiet, who can condemn⁵⁰ him?

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

Yet⁵¹ he is over the individual and the nation alike,⁵²

^34:30so that the godless man should not rule,

and not lay snares for the people.⁵³

Job Is Foolish to Rebel

^34:31“Has anyone said to God,

‘I have endured chastisement,⁵⁴

but I will not act wrongly any more.

^34:32Teach me what I cannot see.⁵⁵

If I have done evil, I will do so no more.’

^34:33Is it your opinion⁵⁶ that God⁵⁷ should recompense it,

because you reject this?⁵⁸

But you must choose, and not I,

so tell us what you know.

^34:34Men of understanding say to me—

any wise man listening to me says—

^34:35that⁵⁹ Job speaks without knowledge

and his words are without understanding.⁶⁰

^34:36But⁶¹ Job will be tested to the end,

because his answers are like those of wicked men.

^34:37For he adds transgression⁶² to his sin;

in our midst he claps his hands,⁶³

and multiplies his words against God.”

Elihu’s Third Speech⁶⁴

^35:1Then Elihu answered:

^35:2“Do you think this to be¹ just:

when² you say, ‘My right before God.’³

^35:3But you say, ‘What will it profit you,’⁴

and, ‘What do I gain by not sinning?’⁵

^35:4I⁶ will reply to you,⁷

and to your friends with you.

^35:5Gaze at the heavens and see;

consider the clouds, which are higher than you!⁸

^35:6If you sin, how does it affect God?⁹

If your transgressions are many,

what does it do to him?¹⁰

^35:7If you are righteous, what do you give to God,

or what does he receive from your hand?

^35:8Your wickedness affects only¹¹ a person like yourself,

and your righteousness only other people.¹²

^35:9“People¹³ cry out

because of the excess of oppression;¹⁴

they cry out for help

because of the power¹⁵ of the mighty.¹⁶

^35:10But no one says, ‘Where is God, my Creator,

who gives songs in the night,¹⁷

^35:11who teaches us¹⁸ more than¹⁹ the wild animals of the earth,

and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?’

^35:12Then²⁰ they cry out—but he does not answer—

because of the arrogance of the wicked.

^35:13Surely it is an empty cry²¹—God does not hear it;

the Almighty does not take notice of it.

^35:14How much less, then,

when you say that you do not perceive him,

that the case is before him

and you are waiting for him!²²

^35:15And further,²³ when you say

that his anger does not punish,²⁴

and that he does not know transgression!²⁵

^35:16So Job opens his mouth to no purpose;²⁶

without knowledge he multiplies words.”

Elihu’s Fourth Speech²⁷

^36:1Elihu said further:¹

^36:2“Be patient² with me a little longer

and I will instruct you,

for I still have words to speak on God’s behalf.³

^36:3With my knowledge I will speak comprehensively,⁴

and to my Creator I will ascribe righteousness.⁵

^36:4For in truth, my words are not false;

it is one complete⁶ in knowledge

who is with you.

^36:5Indeed, God is mighty; and he does not despise people,⁷

he⁸ is mighty, and firm⁹ in his intent.¹⁰

^36:6He does not allow the wicked to live,¹¹

but he gives justice to the poor.

^36:7He does not take his eyes¹² off the righteous;

but with kings on the throne

he seats the righteous¹³ and exalts them forever.¹⁴

^36:8But if they are bound in chains,¹⁵

and held captive by the cords of affliction,

^36:9then he reveals¹⁶ to them what they have done,¹⁷

and their transgressions,

that they were behaving proudly.

^36:10And he reveals¹⁸ this¹⁹ for correction,

and says that they must turn²⁰ from evil.

^36:11If they obey and serve him,

they live out their days in prosperity

and their years in pleasantness.²¹

^36:12But if they refuse to listen,

they pass over the river of death,²²

and expire without knowledge.

^36:13The godless at heart²³ nourish anger,²⁴

they do not cry out even when he binds them.

^36:14They die²⁵ in their youth,

and their life ends among the male cultic prostitutes.²⁶

^36:15He delivers the afflicted by²⁷ their²⁸ afflictions,

he reveals himself to them²⁹ by their suffering.

^36:16And surely, he drew you³⁰ from the mouth of distress,

to a wide place, unrestricted,³¹

and to the comfort³² of your table

filled with rich food.³³

^36:17But now you are preoccupied with the judgment due the wicked,

judgment and justice take hold of you.

^36:…