Elihu Asserts God’s Justice
Then Elihu answered and said:
2 “Hear my words, you wise men,
and give ear to me, you who know;
3 for athe ear tests words
as the palate tastes food.
4 Let us choose awhat is right;
let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job has said, ‘I am ain the right,
and bGod has taken away my right;
6 in spite of my right I am counted a liar;
my wound is incurable, though I am awithout transgression.’
7 What man is like Job,
who adrinks up scoffing like water,
8 who travels in company with evildoers
and walks awith wicked men?
9 For ahe has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
that he should take delight in God.’
10 “Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding:
far be it from God that he should ado wickedness,
and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.
11 For according to athe work of a man he will repay him,
and baccording to his ways he will make it befall him.
12 Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,
and athe Almighty will not pervert justice.
13 Who gave him charge over the earth,
and who alaid on him the whole world?
14 If he should aset his heart to it
and bgather to himself his cspirit and his breath,
15 all flesh would perish together,
and man would areturn to dust.
16 “If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I say.
17 aShall one who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,
18 who asays to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’
19 who ashows no partiality to princes,
nor regards the rich bmore than the poor,
for cthey are all the work of his hands?
20 In a moment athey die;
at bmidnight the people are shaken and pass away,
and the mighty are taken away by cno human hand.
21 “For his eyes are on athe ways of a man,
and he sees all his asteps.
22 There is no agloom or bdeep darkness
where evildoers may hide themselves.
23 For God has no need to consider a man further,
that he should go before God in ajudgment.
24 He ashatters the mighty without investigation
and sets bothers in their place.
25 Thus, knowing their works,
he aoverturns them in the night, and they are crushed.
26 He strikes them for their wickedness
in a place for all to see,
27 because they turned aside from afollowing him
and had no regard for any of his ways,
28 so that they acaused the cry of the poor to come to him,
and he bheard the cry of the afflicted—
29 When he is quiet, who can condemn?
When he hides his face, who can behold him,
whether it be a nation or a man?—
30 that a godless man should not reign,
that he should not ensnare the people.
31 “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne punishment; I will not offend any more;
32 ateach me what I do not see;
if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?
33 Will he then make repayment to suit you,
because you reject it?
For you must choose, and not I;
therefore adeclare what you know.
34 Men of understanding will say to me,
and the wise man who hears me will say:
35 ‘Job aspeaks without knowledge;
his words are without insight.’
36 Would that Job were tried to the end,
because he answers like wicked men.
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin;
he aclaps his hands among us
and multiplies his words against God.”