Job 32–37

Elihu

32So 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.^{ar 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.

⁶So 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.

⁷I thought, ‘Age should speak;

advanced years should teach wisdom.’^u

⁸But it is the spirit^bv in a person,

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

⁹It is not only the old^c who are wise,^y

not only the aged^z who understand what is right.^a

¹⁰“Therefore I say: Listen to me;^b

I too will tell you what I know.^c

¹¹I waited while you spoke,

I listened to your reasoning;

while you were searching for words,

¹²I gave you my full attention.

But not one of you has proved Job wrong;

none of you has answered his arguments.^d

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

let God, not a man, refute^f him.’

¹⁴But 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

¹⁶Must I wait, now that they are silent,

now that they stand there with no reply?

¹⁷I too will have my say;

I too will tell what I know.ⁱ

¹⁸For I am full of words,

and the spirit^j within me compels me;^k

¹⁹inside I am like bottled-up wine,

like new wineskins ready to burst.^l

²⁰I must speak and find relief;

I must open my lips and reply.^m

²¹I will show no partiality,ⁿ

nor will I flatter anyone;^o

²²for if I were skilled in flattery,

my Maker^p would soon take me away.^q

33“But now, Job, listen^r to my words;

pay attention to everything I say.^s

²I am about to open my mouth;

my words are on the tip of my tongue.

³My words come from an upright heart;^t

my lips sincerely speak what I know.^u

⁴The Spirit^v of God has made me;^w

the breath of the Almighty^x gives me life.^y

⁵Answer me^z then, if you can;

stand up^a and argue your case before me.^b

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

I too am a piece of clay.^d

⁷No 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

¹⁰Yet God has found fault with me;

he considers me his enemy.ⁱ

¹¹He 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

¹³Why do you complain to him^m

that he responds to no one’s words^a?ⁿ

¹⁴For God does speak^o—now one way, now another^p—

though no one perceives it.^q

¹⁵In a dream,^r in a vision^s of the night,^t

when deep sleep^u falls on people

as they slumber in their beds,

¹⁶he may speak^v in their ears

and terrify them^w with warnings,^x

¹⁷to turn them from wrongdoing

and keep them from pride,^y

¹⁸to preserve them from the pit,^z

their lives from perishing by the sword.^ba

¹⁹“Or someone may be chastened^b on a bed of pain^c

with constant distress in their bones,^d

²⁰so that their body finds food^e repulsive

and their soul loathes the choicest meal.^f

²¹Their flesh wastes away to nothing,

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

²²They draw near to the pit,ⁱ

and their life to the messengers of death.^cj

²³Yet 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

²⁴and 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—

²⁵let their flesh be renewed^o like a child’s;

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

²⁶then 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

²⁷And 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

²⁸God has delivered^w 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 person^z—

twice, even three times^a—

³⁰to turn them back^b from the pit,^c

that the light of life^d may shine on them.^e

³¹“Pay attention, Job, and listen^f to me;^g

be silent,^h and I will speak.

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

speak up, for I want to vindicate you.^j

³³But if not, then listen to me;^k

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

34Then Elihu said:

²“Hear my words, you wise men;

listen to me,ⁿ you men of learning.

³For the ear tests words

as the tongue tastes food.^o

⁴Let us discern for ourselves what is right;^p

let us learn together what is good.^q

⁵“Job says, ‘I am innocent,^r

but God denies me justice.^s

⁶Although I am right,

I am considered a liar;^t

although I am guiltless,^u

his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.’^v

⁷Is there anyone like Job,

who drinks scorn like water?^w

⁸He keeps company with evildoers;

he associates with the wicked.^x

⁹For he says, ‘There is no profit

in trying to please God.’^y

¹⁰“So listen to me,^z you men of understanding.^a

Far be it from God to do evil,^b

from the Almighty to do wrong.^c

¹¹He repays everyone for what they have done;^d

he brings on them what their conduct deserves.^e

¹²It is unthinkable that God would do wrong,^f

that the Almighty would pervert justice.^g

¹³Who appointed^h him over the earth?

Who put him in charge of the whole world?ⁱ

¹⁴If it were his intention

and he withdrew his spirit^aj and breath,^k

¹⁵all humanity would perish^l together

and mankind would return to the dust.^m

¹⁶“If you have understanding,ⁿ hear this;

listen to what I say.^o

¹⁷Can someone who hates justice govern?^p

Will you condemn the just and mighty One?^q

¹⁸Is he not the One who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’

and to nobles,^r ‘You are wicked,’^s

¹⁹who shows no partiality^t to princes

and does not favor the rich over the poor,^u

for they are all the work of his hands?^v

²⁰They die in an instant, in the middle of the night;^w

the people are shaken and they pass away;

the mighty are removed without human hand.^x

²¹“His eyes are on the ways of mortals;^y

he sees their every step.^z

²²There is no deep shadow,^a no utter darkness,^b

where evildoers can hide.^c

²³God has no need to examine people further,^d

that they should come before him for judgment.^e

²⁴Without inquiry he shatters^f the mighty^g

and sets up others in their place.^h

²⁵Because he takes note of their deeds,ⁱ

he overthrows them in the night^j and they are crushed.^k

²⁶He punishes them for their wickedness^l

where everyone can see them,

²⁷because they turned from following him^m

and had no regard for any of his ways.ⁿ

²⁸They caused the cry of the poor to come before him,

so that he heard the cry of the needy.^o

²⁹But if he remains silent,^p who can condemn him?^q

If he hides his face,^r who can see him?

Yet he is over individual and nation alike,^s

³⁰to keep the godless^t from ruling,^u

from laying snares for the people.^v

³¹“Suppose someone says to God,

‘I am guilty^w but will offend no more.

³²Teach me what I cannot see;^x

if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.’^y

³³Should God then reward you on your terms,

when you refuse to repent?^z

You must decide, not I;

so tell me what you know.

³⁴“Men of understanding declare,

wise men who hear me say to me,

³⁵‘Job speaks without knowledge;^a

his words lack insight.’^b

³⁶Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost

for answering like a wicked man!^c

³⁷To his sin he adds rebellion;

scornfully he claps his hands^d among us

and multiplies his words^e against God.”^f

35Then Elihu said:

²“Do you think this is just?

You say, ‘I am in the right,^g not God.’^h

³Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me,^a

and what do I gain by not sinning?’ⁱ

⁴“I would like to reply to you

and to your friends with you.

⁵Look up at the heavens^j and see;

gaze at the clouds so high above you.^k

⁶If you sin, how does that affect him?

If your sins are many, what does that do to him?^l

⁷If you are righteous, what do you give to him,^m

or what does he receiveⁿ from your hand?^o

⁸Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself,^p

and your righteousness only other people.^q

⁹“People cry out^r under a load of oppression;^s

they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful.^t

¹⁰But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,^u

who gives songs^v in the night,^w

¹¹who teaches^x us^y more than he teaches^b the beasts of the earth

and makes us wiser than^c the birds in the sky?’

¹²He does not answer^z when people cry out

because of the arrogance^a of the wicked.^b

¹³Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea;

the Almighty pays no attention to it.^c

¹⁴How much less, then, will he listen

when you say that you do not see him,^d

that your case^e is before him

and you must wait for him,^f

¹⁵and further, that his anger never punishes^g

and he does not take the least notice of wickedness.^dh

¹⁶So Job opens his mouth with empty talk;ⁱ

without knowledge he multiplies words.”^j

36Elihu continued:

²“Bear with me a little longer and I will show you

that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.

³I get my knowledge from afar;^k

I will ascribe justice to my Maker.^l

⁴Be assured that my words are not false;^m

one who has perfect knowledgeⁿ is with you.^o

⁵“God is mighty,^p but despises no one;^q

he is mighty, and firm in his purpose.^r

⁶He does not keep the wicked alive^s

but gives the afflicted their rights.^t

⁷He does not take his eyes off the righteous;^u

he enthrones them with kings^v

and exalts them forever.^w

⁸But if people are bound in chains,^x

held fast by cords of affliction,^y

⁹he tells them what they have done—

that they have sinned arrogantly.^z

¹⁰He makes them listen^a to correction^b

and commands them to repent of their evil.^c

¹¹If they obey and serve him,^d

they will spend the rest of their…