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Job 32-34
English Standard Version
Job 32-34
English Standard Version
Elihu Rebukes Job's Three Friends
32 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was (A)righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then 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. 3 He 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. 4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. 5 And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger.
6 And 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.
7 I said, ‘Let days speak,
and many years teach wisdom.’
8 But 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.
10 Therefore 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.
12 I gave you my attention,
and, behold, there was none among you who refuted Job
or who answered his words.
13 Beware (J)lest you say, ‘We have found wisdom;
God may vanquish him, not a man.’
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 shall I wait, because they do not speak,
because they stand there, and answer no more?
17 I also will answer with my share;
I also will declare my opinion.
18 For I am full of words;
the spirit within me constrains me.
19 Behold, 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.
21 I will not (N)show partiality to any man
or use flattery toward any person.
22 For I do not know how to flatter,
else my Maker would soon take me away.
Elihu Rebukes Job
33 “But now, hear my speech, O Job,
and listen to all my words.
2 Behold, I (O)open my mouth;
the tongue in my mouth speaks.
3 My 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.
6 Behold, I am toward God as you are;
I too was pinched off from a piece of (T)clay.
7 Behold, 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.
9 You say, ‘I am (W)pure, without (X)transgression;
I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 Behold, he finds occasions against me,
he (Y)counts me as his enemy,
11 he (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.
13 Why do you (AB)contend against him,
saying, ‘He (AC)will answer none of man's[b] words’?[c]
14 For God (AD)speaks in one way,
(AE)and in two, though man (AF)does not perceive it.
15 In (AG)a dream, in (AH)a vision of (AI)the night,
when (AJ)deep sleep falls on men,
while they slumber on their beds,
16 then he (AK)opens the ears of men
and terrifies[d] them with warnings,
17 that he may turn man aside from his (AL)deed
and conceal pride from a man;
18 he keeps back his soul from the pit,
his life from (AM)perishing by the sword.
19 “Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed
and with continual strife in his (AN)bones,
20 so that his (AO)life loathes bread,
and his appetite (AP)the choicest food.
21 His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,
and his bones that were not seen (AQ)stick out.
22 His soul draws near (AR)the pit,
and his life to (AS)those who bring death.
23 If there be for him (AT)an angel,
(AU)a mediator, (AV)one of the thousand,
to declare to man what is (AW)right for him,
24 and he is merciful to him, and says,
‘Deliver him from going down into the pit;
I have found (AX)a ransom;
25 let his flesh (AY)become fresh with youth;
let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’;
26 then man[e] (AZ)prays to God, and he accepts him;
he (BA)sees his face with a shout of joy,
and he (BB)restores to man his righteousness.
27 He sings before men and says:
‘I (BC)sinned and perverted what was right,
and it was not repaid to me.
28 He has redeemed my (BD)soul from going down (BE)into the pit,
and my life shall (BF)look upon the light.’
29 “Behold, God does all these things,
twice, (BG)three times, with a man,
30 to bring back his soul from the pit,
that he may be lighted with (BH)the light of life.
31 Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
32 If you have any words, (BI)answer me;
(BJ)speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 If not, (BK)listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”
Elihu Asserts God's Justice
34 Then Elihu answered and said:
2 “Hear my words, you wise men,
and give ear to me, you who know;
3 for (BL)the ear tests words
as the palate tastes food.
4 Let us choose (BM)what is right;
let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job has said, ‘I am (BN)in the right,
and (BO)God has taken away my right;
6 in spite of my right I am counted a liar;
my wound is incurable, though I am (BP)without transgression.’
7 What man is like Job,
who (BQ)drinks up scoffing like water,
8 who travels in company with evildoers
and walks (BR)with wicked men?
9 For (BS)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 (BT)do wickedness,
and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.
11 For according to (BU)the work of a man he will repay him,
and (BV)according to his ways he will make it befall him.
12 Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,
and (BW)the Almighty will not pervert justice.
13 Who gave him charge over the earth,
and who (BX)laid on him[f] the whole world?
14 If he should (BY)set his heart to it
and (BZ)gather to himself his (CA)spirit and his breath,
15 all flesh would perish together,
and man would (CB)return to dust.
16 “If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I say.
17 (CC)Shall one who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,
18 who (CD)says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’
19 who (CE)shows no partiality to princes,
nor regards the rich (CF)more than the poor,
for (CG)they are all the work of his hands?
20 In a moment (CH)they die;
at (CI)midnight the people are shaken and pass away,
and the mighty are taken away by (CJ)no human hand.
21 “For his eyes are on (CK)the ways of a man,
and he sees all his (CL)steps.
22 There is no (CM)gloom or (CN)deep darkness
where evildoers may hide themselves.
23 For God[g] has no need to consider a man further,
that he should go before God in (CO)judgment.
24 He (CP)shatters the mighty without investigation
and sets (CQ)others in their place.
25 Thus, knowing their works,
he (CR)overturns 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 (CS)following him
and had no regard for any of his ways,
28 so that they (CT)caused the cry of the poor to come to him,
and he (CU)heard 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 (CV)teach 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 (CW)declare what you know.[h]
34 Men of understanding will say to me,
and the wise man who hears me will say:
35 ‘Job (CX)speaks 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 (CY)claps his hands among us
and multiplies his words against God.”
Job 32-34
New International Version
Job 32-34
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)
33 “But now, Job, listen(AH) to my words;
pay attention to everything I say.(AI)
2 I am about to open my mouth;
my words are on the tip of my tongue.
3 My words come from an upright heart;(AJ)
my lips sincerely speak what I know.(AK)
4 The Spirit(AL) of God has made me;(AM)
the breath of the Almighty(AN) gives me life.(AO)
5 Answer me(AP) then, if you can;
stand up(AQ) and argue your case before me.(AR)
6 I am the same as you in God’s sight;(AS)
I too am a piece of clay.(AT)
7 No fear of me should alarm you,
nor should my hand be heavy on you.(AU)
8 “But you have said in my hearing—
I heard the very words—
9 ‘I am pure,(AV) I have done no wrong;(AW)
I am clean and free from sin.(AX)
10 Yet God has found fault with me;
he considers me his enemy.(AY)
11 He fastens my feet in shackles;(AZ)
he keeps close watch on all my paths.’(BA)
12 “But I tell you, in this you are not right,
for God is greater than any mortal.(BB)
13 Why do you complain to him(BC)
that he responds to no one’s words[d]?(BD)
14 For God does speak(BE)—now one way, now another(BF)—
though no one perceives it.(BG)
15 In a dream,(BH) in a vision(BI) of the night,(BJ)
when deep sleep(BK) falls on people
as they slumber in their beds,
16 he may speak(BL) in their ears
and terrify them(BM) with warnings,(BN)
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
and keep them from pride,(BO)
18 to preserve them from the pit,(BP)
their lives from perishing by the sword.[e](BQ)
19 “Or someone may be chastened(BR) on a bed of pain(BS)
with constant distress in their bones,(BT)
20 so that their body finds food(BU) repulsive
and their soul loathes the choicest meal.(BV)
21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing,
and their bones,(BW) once hidden, now stick out.(BX)
22 They draw near to the pit,(BY)
and their life to the messengers of death.[f](BZ)
23 Yet if there is an angel at their side,
a messenger,(CA) one out of a thousand,
sent to tell them how to be upright,(CB)
24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God,
‘Spare them from going down to the pit;(CC)
I have found a ransom for them(CD)—
25 let their flesh be renewed(CE) like a child’s;
let them be restored as in the days of their youth’(CF)—
26 then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,(CG)
they will see God’s face and shout for joy;(CH)
he will restore them to full well-being.(CI)
27 And they will go to others and say,
‘I have sinned,(CJ) I have perverted what is right,(CK)
but I did not get what I deserved.(CL)
28 God has delivered(CM) me from going down to the pit,(CN)
and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’(CO)
29 “God does all these things to a person(CP)—
twice, even three times(CQ)—
30 to turn them back(CR) from the pit,(CS)
that the light of life(CT) may shine on them.(CU)
31 “Pay attention, Job, and listen(CV) to me;(CW)
be silent,(CX) and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;(CY)
speak up, for I want to vindicate you.(CZ)
33 But if not, then listen to me;(DA)
be silent,(DB) and I will teach you wisdom.(DC)”
34 Then Elihu said:
2 “Hear my words, you wise men;
listen to me,(DD) you men of learning.
3 For the ear tests words
as the tongue tastes food.(DE)
4 Let us discern for ourselves what is right;(DF)
let us learn together what is good.(DG)
5 “Job says, ‘I am innocent,(DH)
but God denies me justice.(DI)
6 Although I am right,
I am considered a liar;(DJ)
although I am guiltless,(DK)
his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.’(DL)
7 Is there anyone like Job,
who drinks scorn like water?(DM)
8 He keeps company with evildoers;
he associates with the wicked.(DN)
9 For he says, ‘There is no profit
in trying to please God.’(DO)
10 “So listen to me,(DP) you men of understanding.(DQ)
Far be it from God to do evil,(DR)
from the Almighty to do wrong.(DS)
11 He repays everyone for what they have done;(DT)
he brings on them what their conduct deserves.(DU)
12 It is unthinkable that God would do wrong,(DV)
that the Almighty would pervert justice.(DW)
13 Who appointed(DX) him over the earth?
Who put him in charge of the whole world?(DY)
14 If it were his intention
and he withdrew his spirit[g](DZ) and breath,(EA)
15 all humanity would perish(EB) together
and mankind would return to the dust.(EC)
16 “If you have understanding,(ED) hear this;
listen to what I say.(EE)
17 Can someone who hates justice govern?(EF)
Will you condemn the just and mighty One?(EG)
18 Is he not the One who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’
and to nobles,(EH) ‘You are wicked,’(EI)
19 who shows no partiality(EJ) to princes
and does not favor the rich over the poor,(EK)
for they are all the work of his hands?(EL)
20 They die in an instant, in the middle of the night;(EM)
the people are shaken and they pass away;
the mighty are removed without human hand.(EN)
21 “His eyes are on the ways of mortals;(EO)
he sees their every step.(EP)
22 There is no deep shadow,(EQ) no utter darkness,(ER)
where evildoers can hide.(ES)
23 God has no need to examine people further,(ET)
that they should come before him for judgment.(EU)
24 Without inquiry he shatters(EV) the mighty(EW)
and sets up others in their place.(EX)
25 Because he takes note of their deeds,(EY)
he overthrows them in the night(EZ) and they are crushed.(FA)
26 He punishes them for their wickedness(FB)
where everyone can see them,
27 because they turned from following him(FC)
and had no regard for any of his ways.(FD)
28 They caused the cry of the poor to come before him,
so that he heard the cry of the needy.(FE)
29 But if he remains silent,(FF) who can condemn him?(FG)
If he hides his face,(FH) who can see him?
Yet he is over individual and nation alike,(FI)
30 to keep the godless(FJ) from ruling,(FK)
from laying snares for the people.(FL)
31 “Suppose someone says to God,
‘I am guilty(FM) but will offend no more.
32 Teach me what I cannot see;(FN)
if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.’(FO)
33 Should God then reward you on your terms,
when you refuse to repent?(FP)
You must decide, not I;
so tell me what you know.
34 “Men of understanding declare,
wise men who hear me say to me,
35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge;(FQ)
his words lack insight.’(FR)
36 Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost
for answering like a wicked man!(FS)
37 To his sin he adds rebellion;
scornfully he claps his hands(FT) among us
and multiplies his words(FU) against God.”(FV)
Footnotes
- Job 32:3 Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition Job, and so had condemned God
- Job 32:8 Or Spirit; also in verse 18
- Job 32:9 Or many; or great
- Job 33:13 Or that he does not answer for any of his actions
- Job 33:18 Or from crossing the river
- Job 33:22 Or to the place of the dead
- Job 34:14 Or Spirit
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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.