Job 32–37

Elihu’s Angry Response

32So these three men quit answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. ^r2Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite ^sfrom the family of Ram became angry. He was angry at Job because he had justified ^thimself rather than God. ³He was also angry at Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute him and yet had condemned him. ^u

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 ^vyou what I know.

⁷I thought that age should speak

and maturity should teach wisdom.

⁸But it is a spirit in man ^w

and the breath ^xof the Almighty

that give him 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; ^y

yes, I will tell what I know.

¹⁸For I am full of words,

and my spirit ^zcompels me to speak. ^a

¹⁹My heart ^bis like unvented wine;

it is about to burst like new wineskins. ^c

²⁰I must speak so that I can find relief;

I must open my lips and respond.

²¹I will be partial to no one, ^d

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 ^eheart,

and my lips speak with sincerity what they know.

⁴The Spirit of God has made me,

and the breath of the Almighty ^fgives me life. ^g

⁵Refute me if you can.

Prepare ^hyour case against me; take your stand. ⁱ

⁶I am just like you before God;

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

⁷Fear ^kof me should not terrify you;

the pressure I exert ^lagainst you will be light.

⁸Surely you have spoken in my hearing,

and I have heard these very ^mwords:

⁹“I am pure, without transgression;

I am clean and have no guilt. ⁿ

¹⁰But He finds reasons to oppose me;

He regards me as His enemy. ^o

¹¹He puts my feet in the stocks;

He stands watch ^pover all my paths.”

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

since God is greater than man. ^q

¹³Why do you take ^rHim to court

for not answering anything a person asks? ^s

¹⁴For God speaks time and again,

but a person may not notice it.

¹⁵In a dream, a vision ^tin the night,

when deep sleep falls on people ^u

as they slumber on their beds,

¹⁶He uncovers their ears ^vat that time

and terrifies them ^wwith warnings,

¹⁷in order to turn a person from his actions

and suppress his pride. ^x

¹⁸God spares his soul from the Pit, ^y

his life from crossing the river of death. ^z

¹⁹A person may be disciplined on his bed ^awith pain

and constant distress in his bones, ^b

²⁰so that he detests bread,

and his soul despises his favorite food. ^c

²¹His flesh wastes away to nothing, ^d

and his unseen bones stick out.

²²He draws near to the Pit,

and his life to the executioners.

²³If there is an angel ^eon 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,” ^g

²⁵then his flesh will be healthier ^hthan in his youth,

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

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

That man will see His face ^jwith a shout of joy,

and God will restore his righteousness to him. ^k

²⁷He will look at men and say,

“I have sinned and perverted what was right;

yet I did not get what I deserved. ^l

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 man

³⁰in order to turn him back from the Pit,

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

³¹Pay attention, Job, and listen to me.

Be quiet, and I will speak.

³²But if you have something to say, ⁿanswer 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, ^osaying:

²Hear my words, you wise men,

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. ^p

⁶Would I lie about my case? ^q

My wound ^ris incurable,

though I am without transgression.”

⁷What man is like Job?

He drinks derision ^slike 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.” ^t

¹⁰Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding.

It is impossible for God to do wrong,

and for the Almighty to act unjustly. ^u

¹¹For He repays ^va person according to his deeds,

and He brings his ways on him.

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

and the Almighty does not pervert justice. ^w

¹³Who gave Him authority over the earth?

Who put Him in charge of the entire world? ^x

¹⁴If He put His mind to it

and withdrew the spirit ^yand breath He gave,

¹⁵every living thing would perish together

and mankind would return to the dust. ^z

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, ^a

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

and to nobles, “Wicked men!”? ^b

¹⁹God is not partial ^cto 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. ^d

²²There is no darkness, no deep darkness,

where evildoers can hide themselves. ^e

²³God does not need to examine a person further,

that one should ^fapproach Him in court.

²⁴He shatters the mighty without an investigation

and sets others in their place. ^g

²⁵Therefore, He recognizes their deeds ^h

and overthrows them by night, and they are crushed.

²⁶In full view of the public, ⁱ

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 afflicted. ^j

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; ^k

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 ^lin our presence,

while multiplying ^mhis 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, ⁿ

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

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? ^p

⁸Your wickedness affects a person like yourself,

and your righteousness another human being.

⁹People cry out because of severe oppression;

they shout for help because of the arm of the mighty. ^q

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

who provides us with songs in the night, ^s

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

and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?” ^t

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

because of the pride of evil men. ^u

¹³Indeed, God does not listen to empty cries,

and the Almighty does not take note of it—

¹⁴how much less when ^vyou complain ^w

that you do not see Him,

that your case ^xis before Him

and you are waiting ^yfor Him.

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

and He does not pay attention to transgression, ^z

¹⁶Job opens his mouth in vain

and multiplies words without knowledge. ^a

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.

⁴For my arguments are without flaw; ^b

one who has perfect knowledge is with you.

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

He understands all things. ^cd

⁶He does not keep the wicked alive, ^e

but He gives justice to the afflicted.

⁷He does not remove 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 ^fto correction

and insists they…