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32 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God. Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. Now Elihu had [a]waited to speak unto Job, because they were elder than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was kindled.

And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said,

I am young, and ye are very old;
Wherefore I held back, and durst not show you mine opinion.
I said, Days should speak,
And multitude of years should teach wisdom.
But there is a spirit in man,
And the breath of the Almighty giveth them understanding.
It is not the great that are wise,
Nor the aged that understand justice.
10 Therefore I [b]said, Hearken to me;
I also will show mine opinion.

11 Behold, I waited for your words,
I listened for your reasonings,
Whilst ye searched out what to say.
12 Yea, I attended unto you,
And, behold, there was none that convinced Job,
Or that answered his words, among you.
13 [c]Beware lest ye say, We have found wisdom;
God may vanquish him, not man:
14 For he hath not directed his words against me;
Neither will I answer him with your speeches.

15 They are amazed, they answer no more:
They have not a word to say.
16 And shall I wait, because they speak not,
Because they stand still, and answer no more?
17 I also will answer my part,
I also will show mine opinion.
18 For I am full of words;
The spirit within me constraineth me.
19 Behold, my breast is as wine which hath no vent;
Like new wine-skins [d]it is ready to burst.
20 I will speak, that I may [e]be refreshed;
I will open my lips and answer.
21 Let me not, I pray you, respect any man’s person;
Neither will I give flattering titles unto any man.
22 For I know not to give flattering titles;
Else would my Maker soon take me away.

Footnotes

  1. Job 32:4 Hebrew waited for Job with words.
  2. Job 32:10 Or, say
  3. Job 32:13 Or, Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom; God thrusteth him down, not man: Now he etc.
  4. Job 32:19 Or, which are ready
  5. Job 32:20 Or, find relief

Elihu Rebukes Job and His Three Friends

32 Then these three men ceased from answering Job because he was righteous in his own eyes. So Elihu the son of Barakel the Buzite, from the clan of Ram, became angry.[a] He became angry[b] at Job because he justified himself rather than God, and he became angry[c] at his three friends because they had not found an answer, and they had declared Job guilty. Thus Elihu had waited for Job to speak[d] because they were older than he.[e] When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, he became angry.[f] Then Elihu the son of Barakel the Buzite spoke up[g] and said,

I am young,[h] but[i] you[j] are old;
therefore I feared and became afraid of explaining my knowledge to you.[k]
I thought,[l] ‘Let days[m] speak,
and let many years teach wisdom.’
“Truly, it is a spirit in a human being,
and the breath of Shaddai teaches them.
It is not the aged[n] who are wise,
or[o] it is not the elders who understand justice.
10 Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me;
let me also declare my knowledge myself.’
11 “Look, I waited for your[p] words;
I listened for your[q] insight,
until you searched out what to say.[r]
12 And I directed my attention to you;[s]
and, look, there is no one for Job who refuted,
answering his words among you.
13 So do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;
let God refute him, not a man.’
14 But[t] he did not direct his words[u] to me,
and I will not answer him with your[v] words.
15 “They are dismayed; they no longer answer;
they have nothing to say.[w]
16 And I have waited because they do not speak,
because they stand there and no longer answer.
17 I myself will answer my share also;
I myself will declare my knowledge also,
18 for I am full of words;[x]
the spirit within me[y] urges me.
19 “Look, my internal organs are like unopened wine,
like new wineskins it[z] is ready to burst open.
20 Let me speak that I may find relief;[aa]
let me open my lips, and let me answer.
21 Please let me not show partiality to anyone,[ab]
and let me not show flattery to human beings,
22 for I do not know how to flatter,[ac]
else my Maker would soon[ad] put an end to me.

Footnotes

  1. Job 32:2 Literally “the nose of Elihu became hot”
  2. Job 32:2 Literally “His nose became hot”
  3. Job 32:3 Literally “his nose became hot”
  4. Job 32:4 Literally “in words”
  5. Job 32:4 Literally “they were older than he as far as days”
  6. Job 32:5 Literally “his nose became hot”
  7. Job 32:6 Literally “answered”; see NET
  8. Job 32:6 Literally “Young I am as far as days”
  9. Job 32:6 Or “and”
  10. Job 32:6 Plural
  11. Job 32:6 Plural
  12. Job 32:7 Or “said”
  13. Job 32:7 Compare the idiom of “as far as days” in vv. 4 and 6
  14. Job 32:9 Literally “many in days
  15. Job 32:9 Hebrew “and”
  16. Job 32:11 Plural
  17. Job 32:11 Plural
  18. Job 32:11 Literally “words,” or “sentences”
  19. Job 32:12 Plural
  20. Job 32:14 Hebrew “And”
  21. Job 32:14 Or “sentences,” or “what he said”
  22. Job 32:14 Plural
  23. Job 32:15 Literally “words fail from them,” or “sentences fail from them,” or “what to say fails from them”
  24. Job 32:18 Or “sentences,” or “what to say”
  25. Job 32:18 Literally “the spirit of my stomach”
  26. Job 32:19 Antecedent is “wine”
  27. Job 32:20 Literally “and let it find relief for me”
  28. Job 32:21 Literally “Not please I will lift up face of a man”
  29. Job 32:22 Literally “I will flatter”
  30. Job 32:22 Literally “like little”