Elihu

32 So these three men stopped answering Job,k because he was righteous in his own eyes.l 2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite,m of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himselfn rather than God.o 3 He was also angry with the three friends,p because they had found no way to refute Job,q and yet had condemned him.a r 4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he.s 5 But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.

6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said:

“I am young in years,

and you are old;t

that is why I was fearful,

not daring to tell you what I know.

7 I thought, ‘Age should speak;

advanced years should teach wisdom.’u

8 But it is the spiritb v in a person,

the breath of the Almighty,w that gives them understanding.x

9 It is not only the oldc who are wise,y

not only the agedz who understand what is right.a

10 “Therefore I say: Listen to me;b

I too will tell you what I know.c

11 I waited while you spoke,

I listened to your reasoning;

while you were searching for words,

12 I gave you my full attention.

But not one of you has proved Job wrong;

none of you has answered his arguments.d

13 Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;e

let God, not a man, refutef him.’

14 But Job has not marshaled his words against me,g

and I will not answer him with your arguments.

15 “They are dismayed and have no more to say;

words have failed them.h

16 Must I wait, now that they are silent,

now that they stand there with no reply?

17 I too will have my say;

I too will tell what I know.i

18 For I am full of words,

and the spiritj within me compels me;k

19 inside I am like bottled-up wine,

like new wineskins ready to burst.l

20 I must speak and find relief;

I must open my lips and reply.m

21 I will show no partiality,n

nor will I flatter anyone;o

22 for if I were skilled in flattery,

my Makerp would soon take me away.q

33 “But now, Job, listenr to my words;

pay attention to everything I say.s

2 I am about to open my mouth;

my words are on the tip of my tongue.

3 My words come from an upright heart;t

my lips sincerely speak what I know.u

4 The Spiritv of God has made me;w

the breath of the Almightyx gives me life.y

5 Answer mez then, if you can;

stand upa and argue your case before me.b

6 I am the same as you in God’s sight;c

I too am a piece of clay.d

7 No fear of me should alarm you,

nor should my hand be heavy on you.e

8 “But you have said in my hearing—

I heard the very words—

9 ‘I am pure,f I have done no wrong;g

I am clean and free from sin.h

10 Yet God has found fault with me;

he considers me his enemy.i

11 He fastens my feet in shackles;j

he keeps close watch on all my paths.’k

12 “But I tell you, in this you are not right,

for God is greater than any mortal.l

13 Why do you complain to himm

that he responds to no one’s wordsa?n

14 For God does speako—now one way, now anotherp—

though no one perceives it.q

15 In a dream,r in a visions of the night,t

when deep sleepu falls on people

as they slumber in their beds,

16 he may speakv in their ears

and terrify themw with warnings,x

17 to turn them from wrongdoing

and keep them from pride,y

18 to preserve them from the pit,z

their lives from perishing by the sword.b a

19 “Or someone may be chastenedb on a bed of painc

with constant distress in their bones,d

20 so that their body finds foode repulsive

and their soul loathes the choicest meal.f

21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing,

and their bones,g once hidden, now stick out.h

22 They draw near to the pit,i

and their life to the messengers of death.c j

23 Yet if there is an angel at their side,

a messenger,k one out of a thousand,

sent to tell them how to be upright,l

24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God,

‘Spare them from going down to the pit;m

I have found a ransom for themn—

25 let their flesh be renewedo like a child’s;

let them be restored as in the days of their youth’p—

26 then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,q

they will see God’s face and shout for joy;r

he will restore them to full well-being.s

27 And they will go to others and say,

‘I have sinned,t I have perverted what is right,u

but I did not get what I deserved.v

28 God has deliveredw me from going down to the pit,x

and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’y

29 “God does all these things to a personz—

twice, even three timesa—

30 to turn them backb from the pit,c

that the light of lifed may shine on them.e

31 “Pay attention, Job, and listenf to me;g

be silent,h and I will speak.

32 If you have anything to say, answer me;i

speak up, for I want to vindicate you.j

33 But if not, then listen to me;k

be silent,l and I will teach you wisdom.m”