Job 32

Chapter 32

Elihu in Anger Rebukes Job

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 justified himself ^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 ¹to speak to Job because they were years older than he.

⁵And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men his anger burned.

⁶So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite ¹spoke out and said,

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

Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you ²what I think.

⁷“I ¹thought ^2aage should speak,

And ³increased years should teach wisdom.

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 ²what I think.’

¹¹“Behold, I waited for your words,

I listened to your reasonings,

While you ¹pondered what to say.

¹²“I even paid close attention to you;

¹Indeed, there was no one who refuted Job,

Not one of you who answered his words.

¹³“Do not say,

‘^aWe have found wisdom;

God will ¹rout him, not man.’

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

Nor will I reply to him with your ¹arguments.

¹⁵“They are dismayed, they no longer answer;

Words have ¹failed them.

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

Because they ¹stop and no longer answer?

¹⁷“I too will answer my share,

I also will tell my opinion.

¹⁸“For I am full of words;

The spirit within me constrains me.

¹⁹“Behold, my belly is like unvented wine,

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 take me away.