Job 32

Elihu Contradicts Job’s Friends

32So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was ^arighteous in his own eyes. ²Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the ^bBuzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he ^cjustified himself rather than God. ³Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

⁴Now because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited ¹to speak to Job. ⁵When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused.

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

“I am ^dyoung in years, and you are very old;

Therefore I was afraid,

And dared not declare my opinion to you.

⁷I said, ²‘Age should speak,

And multitude of years should teach wisdom.’

⁸But there is a spirit in man,

And ^ethe breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.

^9fGreat ³men are not always wise,

Nor do the aged always understand justice.

¹⁰“Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me,

I also will declare my opinion.’

¹¹Indeed I waited for your words,

I listened to your reasonings, while you searched out what to say.

¹²I paid close attention to you;

And surely not one of you convinced Job,

Or answered his words—

^13gLest you say,

‘We have found wisdom’;

God will vanquish him, not man.

¹⁴Now he has not ⁴directed his words against me;

So I will not answer him with your words.

¹⁵“They are dismayed and answer no more;

Words escape them.

¹⁶And I have waited, because they did not speak,

Because they stood still and answered no more.

¹⁷I also will answer my part,

I too will declare my opinion.

¹⁸For I am full of words;

The spirit within me compels me.

¹⁹Indeed my ⁵belly is like wine that has no ⁶vent;

It is ready to burst like new wineskins.

²⁰I will speak, that I may find relief;

I must open my lips and answer.

²¹Let me not, I pray, show partiality to anyone;

Nor let me flatter any man.

²²For I do not know how to flatter,

Else my Maker would soon take me ^haway.