Job Says His Friends’ Proverbs Are Ashes

[Job continued:] “Behold, my eye has seen all this, My ear has heard and understood it.

Job Is Sure He Will Be Vindicated

“Be silent before me so that I may speak; And let happen to me what may.

Job Speaks of the Finality of Death

“Man, who is born of a woman, Is short-lived and full of turmoil.

Eliphaz Says Job Presumes Much

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered [Job] and said,

Job Says Friends Are Sorry Comforters

Then Job answered and said,

Job Says God Shattered Him

“If I speak [to you miserable comforters], my pain is not relieved; And if I refrain [from speaking], what [pain or anguish] leaves me?

Job Says He Has Become a Byword

“My spirit is broken, my days are extinguished, The grave is ready for me.

Job Feels Insulted

Then Job answered and said,

Job Says, “My Redeemer Lives”

“Oh, that the words I now speak were written! Oh, that they were recorded in a scroll!

Job’s Dialogue Regarding the Wicked

Then Job answered and said,

Eliphaz Accuses and Exhorts Job

Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said,

Job Says He Longs for God

Then Job answered and said,

Job Says God Seems to Ignore Wrongs

“Why does the Almighty not set seasons for judgment? Why do those who know Him not see His days [for punishment of the wicked]?

Job Rebukes Bildad

But Job answered and said,

Job Affirms His Righteousness

Job continued his discourse and said,

Job Tells of Earth’s Treasures

“Surely there is a mine for silver, And a place where they refine gold.

Job’s Past Was Glorious

And Job again took up his discussion and said,

Job’s Present State Is Humiliating

“But now those younger than I mock and laugh at me, Whose fathers I refused to put with the sheepdogs of my flock.

Job Asserts His Integrity

“I have made a covenant (agreement) with my eyes; How then could I gaze [lustfully] at a virgin?

Let thorns grow instead of wheat, And stinkweed and cockleburs instead of barley.” So the words of Job [with his friends] are finished.

Elihu Rebukes Job

So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes [and could not be persuaded otherwise by them].

But Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became indignant. His indignation was kindled and burned and he became upset with Job because he justified himself rather than God [and even expressed doubts about God’s character].

Elihu’s anger burned against Job’s three friends because they had found no answer [and were unable to determine Job’s error], and yet they had condemned Job and declared him to be in the wrong [and responsible for his own afflictions].

Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because the others were years older than he.

“Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me; I also will give you my opinion [about Job’s situation] and tell you plainly what I think.’