Job 32

CHAPTER 32

Elihu Answers in Anger

¹Then these three men ceased answering Job because he was ^arighteous in his own eyes.

²But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the ^aBuzite, of the family of Ram, burned; against Job his anger burned ^bbecause he was proving himself righteous ^1cbefore God.

³And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

⁴Now Elihu had waited with his words for Job because they were years older than he.

⁵Then Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, so his anger burned.

⁶So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said,

“I am young in years and you are ^aold;

Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you my knowledge.

⁷“I ¹thought ^2aage should speak,

And ³increased years should make wisdom known.

⁸“But it is a spirit in man,

And the ^abreath of the Almighty gives them ^bunderstanding.

⁹“The ¹abundant in years may not be wise,

Nor may ^aelders understand justice.

¹⁰“So I ¹say, ‘Listen to me,

I too will tell my knowledge.’

¹¹“Behold, I waited for your words,

I gave ear to your reasonings,

While you searched out what to say.

¹²“I even carefully considered you;

And behold, there was no one who reproved Job,

Not one of you who answered his words.

¹³“Lest you say,

‘^aWe have found wisdom;

God will drive him away, not man.’

¹⁴“Now he has not arranged his words against me,

Nor will I respond to him with your words.

¹⁵“They are dismayed; they no longer answer;

Words have moved away from them.

¹⁶“Shall I wait, because they do not speak,

Because they stand still and no longer answer?

¹⁷“I myself will also answer my share;

I also will tell my knowledge.

¹⁸“For I am full of words;

The spirit within my belly presses me.

¹⁹“Behold, my belly is like unvented wine, not opened;

Like new wineskins it is about to burst.

²⁰“Let me speak that I may get relief;

Let me open my lips and answer.

²¹“Let me now ^abe partial to no one,

Nor flatter any man.

²²“For I do not know how to flatter,

Else my Maker would soon carry me away.