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Job 32
New International Version
Job 32
New International Version
Elihu
32 So these three men stopped answering Job,(A) because he was righteous in his own eyes.(B) 2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite,(C) of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself(D) rather than God.(E) 3 He was also angry with the three friends,(F) because they had found no way to refute Job,(G) and yet had condemned him.[a](H) 4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he.(I) 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;(J)
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.’(K)
8 But it is the spirit[b](L) in a person,
the breath of the Almighty,(M) that gives them understanding.(N)
9 It is not only the old[c] who are wise,(O)
not only the aged(P) who understand what is right.(Q)
10 “Therefore I say: Listen to me;(R)
I too will tell you what I know.(S)
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.(T)
13 Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;(U)
let God, not a man, refute(V) him.’
14 But Job has not marshaled his words against me,(W)
and I will not answer him with your arguments.
15 “They are dismayed and have no more to say;
words have failed them.(X)
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.(Y)
18 For I am full of words,
and the spirit(Z) within me compels me;(AA)
19 inside I am like bottled-up wine,
like new wineskins ready to burst.(AB)
20 I must speak and find relief;
I must open my lips and reply.(AC)
21 I will show no partiality,(AD)
nor will I flatter anyone;(AE)
22 for if I were skilled in flattery,
my Maker(AF) would soon take me away.(AG)
Job 32
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Job 32
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Elihu Rebukes Job’s Friends
32 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.(A) 2 Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became angry. He was angry at Job because he justified himself rather than God;(B) 3 he was angry also at Job’s three friends because they had found no answer, though they had declared Job to be in the wrong.[a](C) 4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. 5 But when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouths of these three men, he became angry.
6 Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite answered:
“I am young in years,
and you are aged;
therefore I was timid and afraid
to declare my opinion to you.(D)
7 I said, ‘Let days speak
and many years teach wisdom.’
8 But truly it is the spirit in a mortal,
the breath of the Almighty[b] that makes for understanding.(E)
9 It is not the old[c] who are wise
nor the aged who understand what is right.(F)
10 Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me;
let me also declare my opinion.’
11 “See, I waited for your words;
I listened for your wise sayings
while you searched out what to say.(G)
12 I gave you my attention,
but there was, in fact, no one who confuted Job,
no one among you who answered his words.
13 Yet do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;
God may vanquish him, not a human.’(H)
14 He has not directed his words against me,
and I will not answer him with your speeches.
15 “They are dismayed; they answer no more;
they have not a word to say.
16 And am I to wait because they do not speak,
because they stand there and answer no more?
17 I also will give my answer;
I also will declare my opinion.
18 For I am full of words;
the spirit within me constrains me.(I)
19 My belly is indeed like wine that has no vent;
like new wineskins, it is ready to burst.(J)
20 I must speak, so that I may find relief;
I must open my lips and answer.
21 I will not show partiality to any person
or use flattery toward anyone.(K)
22 For I do not know how to flatter—
or my Maker would soon put an end to me!(L)
Job 32
New American Standard Bible
Job 32
New American Standard Bible
Elihu Rebukes Job in Anger
32 Then these three men stopped answering Job, because he was (A)righteous in his own eyes. 2 But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the (B)Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned against Job; his anger burned (C)because he justified himself [a](D)before God. 3 And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, yet they had condemned Job. 4 Now Elihu had waited [b]to speak to Job because they were years older than he. 5 But when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, his anger burned.
6 So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite [c]spoke out and said,
“I am young in years and you are (E)old;
Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you [d]what I think.
7 I [e]thought [f](F)age should speak,
And [g]increased years should teach wisdom.
8 But it is a spirit that is in mankind,
And the (G)breath of the Almighty gives them (H)understanding.
9 The [h]abundant in years may not be wise,
Nor may (I)elders understand justice.
10 So I [i]say, ‘Listen to me,
I too will tell [j]what I think.’
11 “Behold, I waited for your words,
I listened to your skillful speech,
While you [k]pondered what to say.
12 I also paid close attention to you;
But [l]indeed, there was no one who refuted Job,
Not one of you who answered his words.
13 So do not say,
‘(J)We have found wisdom:
God will [m]defeat him, not man.’
14 But he has not presented his words against me,
Nor will I reply to him with your [n]arguments.
15 “They are dismayed, they no longer answer;
Words have [o]failed them.
16 Should I wait, because they are not speaking,
Because they have [p]stopped and no longer answer?
17 I too will [q]give my share of answers;
I also will tell my opinion.
18 For I am full of words;
The spirit within me compels me.
19 Behold, my belly is like unvented wine;
Like new wineskins, it is about to burst.
20 Let me speak so that I may get relief;
Let me open my lips and answer.
21 Let me (K)be partial to no one,
Nor flatter any man.
22 For I do not know how to flatter,
Otherwise my Maker would quickly take me away.
Footnotes
- Job 32:2 Or more than
- Job 32:4 Lit for Job with words; or possibly while they were speaking with Job
- Job 32:6 Lit answered
- Job 32:6 Lit my knowledge
- Job 32:7 Lit said
- Job 32:7 Lit days
- Job 32:7 Lit many
- Job 32:9 Lit great (i.e., in years); or nobles
- Job 32:10 Or said
- Job 32:10 Lit my knowledge
- Job 32:11 Lit searched out words
- Job 32:12 Lit Behold
- Job 32:13 Lit scatter
- Job 32:14 Lit words
- Job 32:15 Lit moved away from
- Job 32:16 Lit stand
- Job 32:17 Lit answer my share
Job 32
Common English Bible
Job 32
Common English Bible
Introduction of Elihu
32 These three men stopped answering Job because he thought he was righteous.[a] 2 Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite from the clan of Ram was angry, angry with Job because he considered himself more righteous than God. 3 He was also angry with his three friends because they hadn’t found an answer but nevertheless thought Job wicked. 4 Elihu had waited while Job spoke, for they were older than he. 5 When Elihu saw that there had been no response in the speeches of the three men, he became very angry.
Elihu’s justification for speaking
6 Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite said:
I’m young and you’re old,
so I held back, afraid to express my opinion to you.
7 I thought, Let days speak;
let multiple years make wisdom known.
8 But the spirit in a person,
the Almighty’s breath, gives understanding.
9 The advanced in days aren’t wise;
the old don’t understand what’s right.
10 Therefore, I say: “Listen to me;
I’ll state my view, even I.”
11 Look, I waited while you spoke,
listened while you reasoned,
while you searched for words.
12 I was attentive to you,
but you offered no rebuke to Job,
no answer from you for his words.
13 Be careful you don’t say, “We’ve found wisdom;
God, not a person, will defeat him.”
14 Now Job[b] hasn’t addressed me,
and I won’t quote you to him.
15 They are troubled, no longer answer;
words now escape them.
16 I waited, but they didn’t speak,
for they stood but answered no more.
17 I will answer. Indeed, I will state[c] my piece;
I too will declare my view,
18 for I’m full of words.
The spirit in my belly compels me.
19 Look, my belly is like unopened wine;
like new wineskins it will burst.
20 I will speak and get relief;
I will open my lips and respond.
21 I won’t be partial to anyone,
won’t flatter a person;
22 for I don’t know flattery;
otherwise my maker would quickly whisk me away.
Job 32
New Living Translation
Job 32
New Living Translation
Elihu Responds to Job’s Friends
32 Job’s three friends refused to reply further to him because he kept insisting on his innocence.
2 Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the clan of Ram, became angry. He was angry because Job refused to admit that he had sinned and that God was right in punishing him. 3 He was also angry with Job’s three friends, for they made God[a] appear to be wrong by their inability to answer Job’s arguments. 4 Elihu had waited for the others to speak to Job because they were older than he. 5 But when he saw that they had no further reply, he spoke out angrily. 6 Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said,
“I am young and you are old,
so I held back from telling you what I think.
7 I thought, ‘Those who are older should speak,
for wisdom comes with age.’
8 But there is a spirit[b] within people,
the breath of the Almighty within them,
that makes them intelligent.
9 Sometimes the elders are not wise.
Sometimes the aged do not understand justice.
10 So listen to me,
and let me tell you what I think.
11 “I have waited all this time,
listening very carefully to your arguments,
listening to you grope for words.
12 I have listened,
but not one of you has refuted Job
or answered his arguments.
13 And don’t tell me, ‘He is too wise for us.
Only God can convince him.’
14 If Job had been arguing with me,
I would not answer with your kind of logic!
15 You sit there baffled,
with nothing more to say.
16 Should I continue to wait, now that you are silent?
Must I also remain silent?
17 No, I will say my piece.
I will speak my mind.
18 For I am full of pent-up words,
and the spirit within me urges me on.
19 I am like a cask of wine without a vent,
like a new wineskin ready to burst!
20 I must speak to find relief,
so let me give my answers.
21 I won’t play favorites
or try to flatter anyone.
22 For if I tried flattery,
my Creator would soon destroy me.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.