Job 32-34 (English Standard Version)

Job 32

Elihu Rebukes Job’s Three Friends

 ¹So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was^(A) righteous in his own eyes. ²Then Elihu the son of Barachel^(B) the Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned with anger. He burned with anger at Job because he justified himself^(C) rather than God. ³He burned with anger also at Job’s three friends because they had found no answer, although they had^(D) declared Job to be in the wrong. ⁴Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. ⁵And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger.

 ⁶And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said:

   "I am young in years,
   and you are^(E) aged;
therefore I was timid and afraid
   to declare my opinion to you.
⁷I said, 'Let days speak,
   and many years teach wisdom.'
⁸But it is^(F) the spirit in man,
   ^(G) the breath of the Almighty, that makes him^(H) understand.
^9(I) It is not the old^[a] who are wise,
   nor the aged who understand what is right.
¹⁰Therefore I say, 'Listen to me;
   let me also declare my opinion.'

 ¹¹"Behold, I waited for your words,
   I listened for your wise sayings,
   while you searched out what to say.
¹²I gave you my attention,
   and, behold, there was none among you who refuted Job
   or who answered his words.
¹³Beware^(J) lest you say, 'We have found wisdom;
   God may vanquish him, not a man.'
¹⁴He 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.
¹⁶And shall I wait, because they do not speak,
   because they stand there, and answer no more?
¹⁷I also will answer with my share;
   I also will declare my opinion.
¹⁸For I am full of words;
   the spirit within me constrains me.
¹⁹Behold, my belly is like wine that has no vent;
   like new^(K) wineskins ready to burst.
^20(L) I must speak, that I may find^(M) relief;
   I must open my lips and answer.
²¹I will not^(N) show partiality to any man
   or use flattery toward any person.
²²For I do not know how to flatter,
   else my Maker would soon take me away.

Job 33

Elihu Rebukes Job

 ¹"But now, hear my speech, O Job,
   and listen to all my words.
²Behold, I^(O) open my mouth;
   the tongue in my mouth speaks.
³My words declare the uprightness of my heart,
   and what my lips know they speak sincerely.
^4(P) The Spirit of God has made me,
   and^(Q) the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
^5(R) Answer me, if you can;
   ^(S) set your words in order before me; take your stand.
⁶Behold, I am toward God as you are;
   I too was pinched off from a piece of^(T) clay.
⁷Behold, no^(U) fear of me need terrify you;
   my^(V) pressure will not be heavy upon you.

 ⁸"Surely you have spoken in my ears,
   and I have heard the sound of your words.
⁹You say, 'I am^(W) pure, without^(X) transgression;
   I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.
¹⁰Behold, he finds occasions against me,
   he^(Y) counts me as his enemy,
¹¹he^(Z) puts my feet in the stocks
   and^(AA) watches all my paths.'

 ¹²"Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you,
   for God is greater than man.
¹³Why do you^(AB) contend against him,
   saying, 'He^(AC) will answer none of man’s^[b] words'?^[c]
14For God^(AD) speaks in one way,
   ^(AE) and in two, though man^(AF) does not perceive it.
¹⁵In^(AG) a dream, in^(AH) a vision of^(AI) the night,
   when deep sleep falls on men,
   while they slumber on their beds,
¹⁶then he^(AJ) opens the ears of men
   and terrifies them with warnings,
¹⁷that he may turn man aside from his^(AK) deed
   and conceal pride from a man;
¹⁸he keeps back his soul from the pit,
   his life from^(AL) perishing by the sword.

 ¹⁹"Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed
   and with continual strife in his^(AM) bones,
²⁰so that his^(AN) life loathes bread,
   and his appetite^(AO) the choicest food.
²¹His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,
   and his bones that were not seen^(AP) stick out.
²²His soul draws near^(AQ) the pit,
   and his life to^(AR) those who bring death.
²³If there be for him^(AS) an angel,
   ^(AT) a mediator,^(AU) one of the thousand,
   to declare to man what is^(AV) right for him,
²⁴and he is merciful to him, and says,
   'Deliver him from going down into the pit;
   I have found^(AW) a ransom;
²⁵let his flesh^(AX) become fresh with youth;
   let him return to the days of his youthful vigor';
²⁶then man^[d](AY) prays to God, and he accepts him;
   he^(AZ) sees his face with a shout of joy,
and he^(BA) restores to man his righteousness.
 ²⁷He sings before men and says:
'I^(BB) sinned and perverted what was right,
   and it was not repaid to me.
²⁸He has redeemed my^(BC) soul from going down^(BD) into the pit,
   and my life shall^(BE) look upon the light.'

 ²⁹"Behold, God does all these things,
   twice,^(BF) three times, with a man,
³⁰to bring back his soul from the pit,
   that he may be lighted with^(BG) the light of life.
³¹Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;
   be silent, and I will speak.
³²If you have any words,^(BH) answer me;
   ^(BI) speak, for I desire to justify you.
³³If not,^(BJ) listen to me;
   be silent, and I will teach you wisdom."

Job 34

Elihu Asserts God’s Justice

 ¹Then Elihu answered and said:
 ²"Hear my words, you wise men,
   and give ear to me, you who know;
³for^(BK) the ear tests words
   as the palate tastes food.
⁴Let us choose^(BL) what is right;
   let us know among ourselves what is good.
⁵For Job has said, 'I am^(BM) in the right,
   and^(BN) God has taken away my right;
⁶in spite of my right I am counted a liar;
   my wound is incurable, though I am^(BO) without transgression.'
⁷What man is like Job,
   who^(BP) drinks up scoffing like water,
⁸who travels in company with evildoers
   and walks^(BQ) with wicked men?
⁹For^(BR) he 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^(BS) do wickedness,
   and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.
¹¹For according to^(BT) the work of a man he will repay him,
   and^(BU) according to his ways he will make it befall him.
¹²Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,
   and^(BV) the Almighty will not pervert justice.
¹³Who gave him charge over the earth,
   and who^(BW) laid on him^[e] the whole world?
¹⁴If he should^(BX) set his heart to it
   and^(BY) gather to himself his^(BZ) spirit and his breath,
¹⁵all flesh would perish together,
   and man would^(CA) return to dust.

 ¹⁶"If you have understanding, hear this;
   listen to what I say.
^17(CB) Shall one who hates justice govern?
   Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,
¹⁸who^(CC) says to a king, 'Worthless one,'
   and to nobles, 'Wicked man,'
¹⁹who^(CD) shows no partiality to princes,
   nor regards the rich^(CE) more than the poor,
   for^(CF) they are all the work of his hands?
²⁰In a moment^(CG) they die;
   at^(CH) midnight the people are shaken and pass away,
   and the mighty are taken away by^(CI) no human hand.

 ²¹"For his eyes are on^(CJ) the ways of a man,
   and he sees all his steps.
²²There is no^(CK) gloom or^(CL) deep darkness
   where evildoers may hide themselves.
²³For God^[f] has no need to consider a man further,
   that he should go before God in^(CM) judgment.
²⁴He^(CN) shatters the mighty without investigation
   and sets^(CO) others in their place.
²⁵Thus, knowing their works,
   he^(CP) overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.
²⁶He strikes them for their wickedness
   in a place for all to see,
²⁷because they turned aside from^(CQ) following him
   and had no regard for any of his ways,
²⁸so that they^(CR) caused the cry of the poor to come to him,
   and he^(CS) heard the cry of the afflicted—
²⁹When he is quiet, who can condemn?
   When he hides his face, who can behold him,
   whether it be a nation or a man?—
³⁰that 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(CT) teach me what I do not see;
   if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more'?
³³Will he then make repayment to suit you,
   because you reject it?
For you must choose, and not I;
   therefore^(CU) declare what you know.^[g]
34Men of understanding will say to me,
   and the wise man who hears me will say:
³⁵'Job^(CV) speaks without knowledge;
   his words are without insight.'
³⁶Would that Job were tried to the end,
   because he answers like wicked men.
³⁷For he adds rebellion to his sin;
   he^(CW) claps his hands among us
   and multiplies his words against God."