Job 32
Names of God Bible
Elihu Decides to Speak to Job
32 These three men stopped answering Job because Job thought he was righteous. 2 Then Elihu, son of Barachel, a descendant of Buz from the family of Ram, became very angry with Job because Job thought he was more righteous than Elohim. 3 Elihu was also very angry with Job’s three friends because they had found no answer. They made it look as if Elohim[a] were wrong. 4 Elihu waited as they spoke to Job because they were older than he was. 5 When Elihu saw that the three men had no further responses, he became very angry.
Elihu Speaks: The Reason for Elihu’s Discourse
6 So Elihu, son of Barachel, the descendant of Buz, replied to Job,
“I am young, and you are old.
That’s why I refrained from speaking
and was afraid to tell you what I know.
7 I thought, ‘Age should speak,
and experience should teach wisdom.’
8 However, there is in humans a Ruach,
the breath of Shadday, that gives them understanding.
9 People do not become wise merely because they live long.
They don’t understand what justice is merely because they’re old.
10 “That is why I say, ‘Listen to me!
Let me tell you what I know.’
11 I waited for you to speak.
I listened for you to share your understanding
until you could find the right words.
12 I’ve paid close attention to you,
but none of you refuted Job.
None of you has an answer to what he says.
13 So don’t say, ‘We’ve found wisdom.
Let El, not humans, defeat him.’
14 Job did not choose his words to refute me,
so I won’t answer him with your speeches.
15 “Job’s friends have been overwhelmed and don’t have any more answers.
They don’t have another word to say.
16 Should I wait because they don’t speak,
because they stand there and don’t have any more answers?
17 “I’ll give my answer.
I’ll tell you what I know.
18 I’m full of words.
The Ruach within me forces me to speak.
19 My belly is like a bottle of wine that has not been opened,
like new wineskins that are ready to burst.
20 I must speak to get relief.
I must open my mouth and answer.
21 I won’t be partial toward anyone
or flatter anyone.
22 I don’t know how to flatter.
If I did, my maker would soon carry me away.
Footnotes
- Job 32:3 Masoretic Text “Job.” At times some scribes would alter the text when they thought it was disrespectful to God.
Job 32
Tree of Life Version
Young Elihu Speaks
32 So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite of the clan of Ram became very angry. He was angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. 3 He was also angry with his three friends because they had not found an answer, and yet had condemned Job. 4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older. 5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his anger was aroused.
6 Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite responded and said:
“I am young in days and you are old;
that is why I was timid
and dared not to tell what I know.
7 I thought, ‘Let days speak,
and many years teach wisdom.’[a]
8 But there is a spirit in people,
the breath of Shaddai that gives them understanding.
9 It is not only the aged who are wise
or old men who understand justice.
10 “Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me!
I, even I, will explain what I know.’
11 Look, I waited for your words,
I listened to your reasoning;
while you were searching for words
12 I gave you my full attention.
But behold, no one proved Job wrong;
none among you, answered his statements.
13 Lest you should say, ‘We have found wisdom;
let God refute him, not man!’
14 Job has not directed his words to me
and I will not respond to him with your arguments.
15 “They are dismayed and no longer reply;
words have failed them.
16 Must I wait, since they no longer speak
since they stand there with no reply?
17 I too will answer my part;
I too will declare what I know.
18 For I am full of words,
and the spirit within me compels me;
19 inside I am like wine that has no opening,
like new wineskins ready to burst.
20 I must speak that I may find relief;
I will open my lips that I may answer.
21 I will show partiality to no one,
nor will I flatter anyone;
22 for I do not know how to flatter
else my Maker would quickly carry me away!
Job 32
1599 Geneva Bible
32 2 Elihu reproveth them of folly. 8 Age maketh not a man wise, but the spirit of God.
1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he [a]esteemed himself just.
2 Then the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the [b]Buzite, of the family of [c]Ram, was kindled: his wrath, I say, was kindled against Job, because he justified himself [d]more than God.
3 Also his anger was kindled against his three friends, because they could not find an answer, and yet condemned Job.
4 (Now Elihu had waited till Job had spoken: for [e]they were more ancient in years than he.)
5 So when Elihu saw, that there was none answer in the mouth of the three men, his wrath was kindled.
6 Therefore Elihu the son of Barachel, the Buzite answered and said, I am young in years, and ye are ancient: therefore I doubted, and was afraid to show you mine opinion.
7 For I said, The days [f]shall speak, and the multitude of years shall teach wisdom.
8 Surely there is a spirit in man, [g]but the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding.
9 Great men are not always wise, neither do the aged always understand judgment.
10 Therefore I say, Hear me and I will show also mine opinion.
11 Behold, I did wait upon your words, and hearkened unto your knowledge, while you sought out [h]reasons.
12 Yea, when I had considered you, lo, there was none of you that reproved Job, nor answered his words:
13 Lest ye should say, We have [i]found wisdom: for God hath cast him down, and no man.
14 Yet hath [j]he not directed his words to me, neither will I answer [k]him by your words.
15 Then they fearing, answered no more, but left off their talk.
16 When I had waited (for they spake not, but stood still and answered no more)
17 Then answered I in my turn, and I showed mine opinion.
18 For I am full of [l]matter, and the spirit within me compelleth me.
19 Behold, my belly is as the wine, which hath no vent, and like the new bottles that burst.
20 Therefore will I speak, that I may take breath: I will open my lips, and will answer.
21 I will not now accept the person of man, [m]neither will I give titles to man.
22 For I may not give [n]titles, lest my Maker should take me away suddenly.
Footnotes
- Job 32:1 Hebrew, was just in his own eyes.
- Job 32:2 Which came of Buz, the son of Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
- Job 32:2 Or, as the Chaldean paraphrase readeth, Abram.
- Job 32:2 By making himself innocent, and by charging God of rigor.
- Job 32:4 That is, the three mentioned before.
- Job 32:7 Meaning, the ancient, which have experience.
- Job 32:8 It is a special gift of God that man hath understanding, and cometh neither of nature nor by age.
- Job 32:11 To prove that Job’s affliction came for his sins.
- Job 32:13 And flatter yourselves, as though you had overcome him.
- Job 32:14 To wit, Job.
- Job 32:14 He useth almost the like arguments, but without taunting and reproaches.
- Job 32:18 I have conceived in my mind great store of reasons.
- Job 32:21 I will neither have regard to riches, credit, nor authority, but will speak the very truth.
- Job 32:22 The Hebrew word signifieth, to change the name, as to call a fool a wise man: meaning, that he would not cloak the truth to flatter men.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
