Job 32:1–34:20
Elihu Rebukes Job and His Three Friends
32 Then these three men ceased from answering Job because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 So Elihu the son of Barakel the Buzite, from the clan of Ram, ⌊became angry⌋.a ⌊He became angry⌋b at Job because he justified himself rather than God, 3 and ⌊he became angry⌋c at his three friends because they had not found an answer, and they had declared Job guilty. 4 Thus Elihu had waited for Job ⌊to speak⌋d because ⌊they were older than he⌋.e 5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, ⌊he became angry⌋.f 6 Then Elihu the son of Barakel the Buzite ⌊spoke up⌋g and said,
“⌊I am young⌋,h buti youj are old;
therefore I feared and became afraid of explaining my knowledge to you.k
7 I thought,l ‘Let daysm speak,
and let many years teach wisdom.’
8 “Truly, it is a spirit in a human being,
and the breath of Shaddai teaches them.
9 It is not ⌊the aged⌋n who are wise,
oro it is not the elders who understand justice.
10 Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me;
let me also declare my knowledge myself.’
11 “Look, I waited for yourp words;
I listened for yourq insight,
until you searched out ⌊what to say⌋.r
12 And I directed my attention to you;s
and, look, there is no one for Job who refuted,
answering his words among you.
13 So do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;
let God refute him, not a man.’
14 Butt he did not direct his wordsu to me,
and I will not answer him with yourv words.
15 “They are dismayed; they no longer answer;
⌊they have nothing to say⌋.w
16 And I have waited because they do not speak,
because they stand there and no longer answer.
17 I myself will answer my share also;
I myself will declare my knowledge also,
18 for I am full of words;x
⌊the spirit within me⌋y urges me.
19 “Look, my internal organs are like unopened wine,
like new wineskins itz is ready to burst open.
20 Let me speak ⌊that I may find relief⌋;a
let me open my lips, and let me answer.
21 ⌊Please let me not show partiality to anyone⌋,b
and let me not show flattery to human beings,
22 for I do not know how ⌊to flatter⌋,c
else my Maker would ⌊soon⌋d put an end to me.
33 “But now, please hear my speeches,a Job,
and hearb all my words.
2 Please look, I open my mouth;
my tongue in my mouth speaks.
3 My words declare my heart’s uprightness,
and my lips sincerely speak ⌊what my lips know⌋.c
4 The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of Shaddai gives life to me.
5 “If you are able, answer me.
Present your argument ⌊before me⌋;d take your stand.
6 Look, before God ⌊I am like you⌋;e
I myself was also formed from clay.
7 Look, dread of me should not terrify you,
and my hand will not be heavy upon you.
8 “Surely you have spoken in my ears,
and I have heard the sound of your words:f
9 ‘I am clean, without transgression;
I am pure, and there is no guilt in me.
10 Look, he finds fault against me;
he reckons me as his enemy;
11 he puts my feet in the block;
he watches all my paths.’
12 “Look, in this you are not right—I will answer you:
Indeed, God is greater than a human being.
13 Why do you contend against him,
that he will not answer all a person’s words?
14 Indeed, God speaks in one way,
eveng in two,h yet someone does not perceive it.
15 “In a dream, a vision of the night,
when a deep sleep falls on men slumbering on their bed,
16 then he opens the ear of men,
and ⌊he frightens them with a warning⌋i
17 to turn human beings aside from their deeds,
and he keeps man from pride.
18 He spares his life from the pit
and his life from passing over the river of death.
19 “And he is reproved with pain on his bed,
evenj with the strife of his bones continually,
20 ⌊so that⌋k his life loathes bread,
and his inner selfl loathes ⌊appetizing food⌋.m
21 His flesh is wasted away from sight,
and his bones, which are invisible, are bared.
22 And ⌊he⌋n draws near to the pit
and his life to the killers.
23 “If there is a messenger beside him, a mediator, one of a thousand,o
to declare to a human being his uprightness
24 ⌊so that⌋p he is gracious to him, and he says,
‘Deliver him from descending into the pit;
I have found a ransom.’
25 His flesh is renewed with his youth;
he returns to the days of his youthful strength.
26 He prays to God, then he accepts him,
and he sees his face with a shout of joy,
and he repays to the human being his righteousness.
27 “He will sing to men, and he will say,
‘I have sinned and have perverted what is right,
and it was not paid back to me.
28 He redeemed my life from going down into the pit,
soq ⌊I will enjoy the light⌋.’r
29 Look, God does all these things
twice, three timess with a person
30 to bring his life back from the pit
⌊so that he may enjoy the light of life⌋.t
31 “Listen attentively, Job; listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
32 If ⌊you have anything to say⌋,u ⌊answer me⌋;v
speak, for I desire ⌊to justify you⌋.w
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”
34 Thusa Elihu ⌊spoke up⌋b and said,
2 “Hear my words, you wise men,
and listen to me, you who know,
and the palate tastes ⌊food⌋.c
4 Let us choose justice for ourselves;
let us determine among ourselves what is good—
5 for Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
but God has taken away my justice.
6 Should I lie concerning my justice?
Though I am without transgression, my wound caused by an arrow is incurable.’
who drinks scorn like water?
8 And he goes on the road in company with instigators of mischief,
and walks with men of wickedness.
9 Indeed, he says, ‘A man does not profit
when he takes delight in God.’
10 “Therefore, listen to me, ⌊people who have sense⌋:d
far be it from God ⌊that he should commit wickedness⌋e
and that Shaddai ⌊should do wrong⌋.f
11 Indeed, he will repay according to a human being’s deeds,
and according to a man’s way he will let it happen to him.
12 What’s more, God truly does not act wickedly,
and Shaddai does not pervert justice.
13 Who gave him charge over the earth?
Org who laid on him the whole world?
14 If he should set his heart to it,
and he should gather his spirit and his breath to himself,
15 all flesh would perish together,
and humankind would return to dust.
16 “Buth if you have understanding, hear this;
listen to ⌊what I say⌋.i
17 Shall he who hates justice really govern?
Or will youj declare the Righteous One, the Mighty, guilty?—
18 the one who says to a king,
‘You worthless man,’ to noblemen, ‘You wicked man,’
19 who ⌊shows no partiality to officials⌋k
and who ⌊does not take note of the noble more than of the insignificant⌋,l
for all of them are the work of his hands?
and in the middle of the night the people are shaken, and they pass away,
and they take away the mighty ⌊effortlessly⌋.m