Elihu Answers in Anger
Then these three men ceased answering Job because he was arighteous in his own eyes. 2 But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the aBuzite, of the family of Ram, burned; against Job his anger burned bbecause he was proving himself righteous cbefore God. 3 And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. 4 Now Elihu had waited with his words for Job because they were years older than he. 5 Then Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, so his anger burned.
6 So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said,
“I am young in years and you are aold;
Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you my knowledge.
7 I thought aage should speak,
And increased years should make wisdom known.
8 But it is a spirit in man,
And the abreath of the Almighty gives them bunderstanding.
9 The abundant in years may not be wise,
Nor may aelders understand justice.
10 So I say, ‘Listen to me,
I too will tell my knowledge.’
11 “Behold, I waited for your words,
I gave ear to your reasonings,
While you searched out what to say.
12 I even carefully considered you;
And behold, there was no one who reproved Job,
Not one of you who answered his words.
13 Lest you say,
‘aWe have found wisdom;
God will drive him away, not man.’
14 Now he has not arranged his words against me,
Nor will I respond to him with your words.
15 “They are dismayed; they no longer answer;
Words have moved away from them.
16 Shall I wait, because they do not speak,
Because they stand still and no longer answer?
17 I myself will also answer my share;
I also will tell my knowledge.
18 For I am full of words;
The spirit within my belly presses me.
19 Behold, my belly is like unvented wine, not opened;
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 carry me away.
Elihu Asks Job to Hear and Respond
“However now, Job, please ahear my speech,
And give ear to all my words.
2 Behold now, I open my mouth;
My tongue in my mouth speaks.
3 My words are from the uprightness of my heart,
And my lips speak aknowledge sincerely.
4 The aSpirit of God has made me,
And the bbreath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 aRespond to me if you can;
Arrange yourselves before me, take your stand.
6 Behold, I belong to God like you;
I too have been formed out of the aclay.
7 Behold, ano dread of me should terrify you,
Nor should my pressure weigh heavily on you.
8 “Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your speech:
9 ‘I am apure, bwithout transgression;
I am innocent, and there cis no guilt in me.
10 Behold, He finds reasons for opposition against me;
He acounts me as His enemy.
11 He aputs my feet in the stocks;
He keeps watch over all my paths.’
12 Behold, let me answer you; ayou are not right in this,
For God is greater than mortal man.
13 “Why do you acontend against Him?
For He does not give an answer for all His doings.
14 Indeed aGod speaks once,
Or twice, yet no one perceives it.
15 In a adream, a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls on men,
While they slumber in their beds,
16 Then aHe opens the ears of men,
And seals in their discipline,
17 That He may turn man aside from his conduct,
And keep man from pride;
18 He aholds back his soul from the pit,
And his life from passing over to death bby a weapon.
19 “Man is also reproved with apain on his bed,
And with unceasing contention in his bones,
20 So that his life aloathes bread,
And his soul favorite food.
21 His aflesh wastes away from sight,
And his bbones which were not seen stick out.
22 Then ahis soul draws near to the pit,
And his life to those who bring death.
23 “If there is an angel as amediator for him,
One out of a thousand,
To declare to a man what is right for him,
24 Then let him be gracious to him, and say,
‘Deliver him from agoing down to the pit;
I have found batonement’;
25 Let his flesh become fresher than in youth,
Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor;
26 Then he will aentreat God, and He will accept him,
And bhe will see His face with joyful shouts,
And He may restore His righteousness to man.
27 He will sing to men and say,
‘I ahave sinned and perverted what is right,
But He has not done bwhat is due to me.
28 He has redeemed my soul from passing into the pit,
And my life shall asee the light.’
29 “Behold, God does aall these things twice, three times with men,
30 To abring back his soul from the pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.
31 Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;
Keep silent, and I will speak.
32 Then if you have any speech, respond to me;
Speak, for I desire to prove you righteous.
33 If not, alisten to me;
Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”
Elihu Answers That God Will Be Just
Then Elihu answered and said,
2 “Hear my speech, 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 for ourselves what is just;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job has said, ‘aI am righteous,
But bGod has removed my justice;
6 Should I lie concerning my justice?
My awound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7 What man is like Job,
Who adrinks up mocking like water,
8 But he travels ain company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?
9 For he has said, ‘aIt is of no use to a man
When he is pleased with God.’
10 “Therefore, listen to me, you men with a heart of wisdom.
Far be it from God to ado injustice,
And from the Almighty to do wrong.
11 For He pays a man according to ahis work,
And makes him find it according to his way.
12 Truly, aGod will not act wickedly,
And the Almighty will not pervert justice.
13 Who aappointed Him with authority over the earth?
And who bhas laid on Him the whole world?
14 If He should set His heart on it,
If He should agather to Himself His spirit and His breath,
15 All aflesh would breathe its last together,
And man would breturn to dust.
16 “But if you have understanding, hear this;
Give ear to the sound of my speech.
17 Shall aone who hates justice rule?
And bwill you condemn the righteous mighty One,
18 Who says to a king, ‘Vile one,’
To nobles, ‘Wicked ones’;
19 Who shows no apartiality to princes
Nor recognizes the rich above the poor,
For they all are the bwork of His hands?
20 In a moment they die, and aat midnight
People are shaken and pass away,
And bthe mighty are taken away without a hand.
21 “For aHis eyes are upon the ways of a man,
And He sees all his steps.
22 There is ano darkness or shadow of death
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 For He does not aneed to consider a man further,
That he should go before God in judgment.
24 He breaks in pieces amighty men without searching anything out,
And sets others in their place.
25 Therefore He arecognizes their labors,
And bHe overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
26 He astrikes them like the wicked
In a public place,
27 Because they aturned aside from following Him,
And bhad no insight from any of His ways;
28 So that they caused athe cry of the poor to come to Him,
And that He might bhear the cry of the afflicted.
29 So if He keeps quiet, who then can condemn?
So if He hides His face, who then can perceive Him?
He is above both nation and man altogether,
30 So that agodless men would not rule
Nor be snares of the people.
31 “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastisement;
I will not work destructively anymore;
32 Instruct me what I do not behold;
If I have adone injustice,
I will not do it again’?
33 Shall He arepay on your terms, because you have rejected it?
For you must choose, and not I;
Therefore say what you know.
34 Men with a heart of wisdom will say to me,
And a wise man who hears me,
35 ‘Job aspeaks without knowledge,
And his words are without insight.
36 Job ought to be tested to the limit
Because he answers alike wicked men.
37 For he adds atransgression to his sin;
He bstrikes his hands together among us,
And multiplies his words against God.’”
Elihu Answers Job
Then Elihu answered and said,
2 “Do you think this is according to ajustice?
Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
3 For you say, ‘aWhat use will it be to You?
bWhat profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’
4 I will respond to you,
And your friends with you.
5 aLook at the heavens and see;
And perceive bthe clouds—they are higher than you.
6 If you have sinned, awhat do you accomplish against Him?
And if your transgressions are many, what do you do to Him?
7 If you are righteous, awhat do you give to Him,
Or what does He receive from your hand?
8 Your wickedness is for a man like yourself,
And your righteousness is for a son of man.
9 “Because of amany oppressions they cry out;
They cry for help because of the arm bof many oppressors.
10 But ano one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
Who bgives songs of praise in the night,
11 Who ateaches us more than the beasts of the earth
And makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’
12 There athey cry out, but He does not answer
Because of the pride of evil men.
13 Surely aGod will not listen to an empty cry,
Nor will the Almighty perceive it.
14 How much less when ayou say you do not perceive Him,
The bcase is before Him, and you must wait for Him!
15 And now, because He has not visited in His anger,
Nor has He acknowledged transgression well,
16 So Job opens his mouth vainly;
He multiplies words awithout knowledge.”
Elihu Says God Gives the Afflicted Justice
Then Elihu continued and said,
2 “Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there is yet more to be said in God’s behalf.
3 I will take up my knowledge from afar,
And I will ascribe arighteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly amy words are not a lie;
One who is bperfect in knowledge is with you.
5 Behold, God is mighty but does not areject;
He is bmighty in the power of His heart.
6 He does not akeep the wicked alive,
But gives justice to bthe afflicted.
7 He does not awithdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But bwith kings on the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
8 And if they are bound in fetters,
And are caught in the cords of aaffliction,
9 Then He declares to them their work
And their transgressions, that they have amagnified themselves.
10 aHe opens their ear to discipline,
And bsays that they return from wickedness.
11 If they hear and serve Him,
They will aend their days in prosperity
And their years in bpleasures.
12 But if they do not hear, they shall pass away aby a weapon
And they will bbreathe their last without knowledge.
13 But the godless in heart lay up anger;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
14 They die in youth,
And their life perishes among the acult prostitutes.
15 He delivers the afflicted in their aaffliction,
And bopens their ear in time of oppression.
16 Then indeed, He aenticed you from the mouth of distress,
Instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;
And the comfort of your table full of fatness.
17 “But you were full of ajudgment on the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 Beware lest awrath entice you to scoffing;
And do not let the greatness of the batonement turn you aside.
19 Will your cries keep you from distress,
Or all the forces of your power?
20 Do not long for athe night,
When people vanish in their place.
21 Be careful, do anot turn to wickedness,
For you have chosen this to baffliction.
22 Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a ateacher like Him?
23 Who has appointed Him His way,
And who has said, ‘aYou have worked out unrighteousness’?
24 “Remember that you should aexalt His work,
Of which men have bsung.
25 All men have beheld it;
Man looks from afar.
26 Behold, God is aexalted, and bwe do not know Him;
The cnumber of His years is unsearchable.
27 For aHe draws up the drops of water,
They distill rain for His stream,
28 Which the clouds pour down,
They drip upon man abundantly.
29 Can anyone discern the aspreading of the clouds,
The bthundering of His pavilion?
30 Behold, He spreads His lightning about Him,
And He covers the depths of the sea.
31 For by these He ajudges peoples;
He bgives food in abundance.
32 He covers His hands with the lightning,
And acommands it to strike the mark.
33 Its athundering declares about Him;
The cattle also, concerning what is coming up.
Elihu Speaks of God’s Voice
“At this also my heart trembles,
And leaps from its place.
2 Listen closely to the athunder of His voice,
And the rumbling that goes out from His mouth.
3 Under the whole heaven He lets it loose,
And His lightning to the aends of the earth.
4 After it, a voice roars;
He thunders with His majestic voice,
And He does not restrain the lightnings when His voice is heard.
5 God athunders with His voice marvelously,
Doing bgreat things which we do not know.
6 For to athe snow He says, ‘Fall on the earth,’
And to the bdownpour of rain and the downpour of rains, ‘Be strong.’
7 He aseals the hand of every man,
That ball men may know His work.
8 Then the beast goes into its alair
And dwells in its den.
9 Out of the asouth comes the storm,
And out of the north the cold.
10 From the breath of God aice is made,
And the expanse of the waters is frozen.
11 Also with moisture He aloads the thick cloud;
He bscatters cthe cloud of His lightning.
12 It changes direction, turning around by His guidance,
That it may do whatever He acommands it
On the bface of the inhabited earth.
13 Whether for acorrection, or for bHis world,
Or for clovingkindness, He causes it to happen.
14 “Give ear to this, O Job,
Stand and carefully consider the wondrous deeds of God.
15 Do you know how God establishes them,
And makes the lightning of His cloud to shine?
16 Do you know about the layers of the thick clouds,
The awonders of one bperfect in knowledge,
17 You whose garments are hot,
When the land is quiet because of the south wind?
18 Can you, with Him, aspread out the skies,
Strong as a molten mirror?
19 Make us know what we shall say to Him;
We acannot arrange our case because of darkness.
20 Shall it be recounted to Him that I would speak?
If a man says a word, will He indeed be swallowed up?
21 “So now men do not see the light which is bright in the skies;
But the wind has passed and cleared them.
22 Out of the north comes golden splendor;
Around God is fearsome majesty.
23 The Almighty—awe cannot find Him;
He is bexalted in power
And cHe will not afflict djustice and abundant righteousness.
24 Therefore men afear Him;
He does not bregard any who are wise of heart.”