Elihu Rebukes Job's Three Friends

32 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was (A)righteous in his own eyes. 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. 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. Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, he burned with anger.

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.
I said, ‘Let days speak,
    and many years teach wisdom.’
But it is (F)the spirit in man,
    (G)the breath of the Almighty, that makes him (H)understand.
(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.
Behold, I (O)open my mouth;
    the tongue in my mouth speaks.
My words declare the uprightness of my heart,
    and what my lips know they speak sincerely.
(P)The Spirit of God has made me,
    and (Q)the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
(R)Answer me, if you can;
    (S)set your words in order before me; take your stand.
Behold, I am toward God as you are;
    I too was pinched off from a piece of (T)clay.
Behold, no (U)fear of me need terrify you;
    my (V)pressure will not be heavy upon you.

“Surely you have spoken in my ears,
    and I have heard the sound of your words.
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.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 32:9 Hebrew many [in years]
  2. Job 33:13 Hebrew his
  3. Job 33:13 Or He will not answer for any of his own words
  4. Job 33:16 Or seals
  5. Job 33:26 Hebrew he

Elihu

32 So these three men stopped answering Job,(A) because he was righteous in his own eyes.(B) 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) 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) Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he.(I) But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.

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.
I thought, ‘Age should speak;
    advanced years should teach wisdom.’(K)
But it is the spirit[b](L) in a person,
    the breath of the Almighty,(M) that gives them understanding.(N)
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)
I am about to open my mouth;
    my words are on the tip of my tongue.
My words come from an upright heart;(AJ)
    my lips sincerely speak what I know.(AK)
The Spirit(AL) of God has made me;(AM)
    the breath of the Almighty(AN) gives me life.(AO)
Answer me(AP) then, if you can;
    stand up(AQ) and argue your case before me.(AR)
I am the same as you in God’s sight;(AS)
    I too am a piece of clay.(AT)
No fear of me should alarm you,
    nor should my hand be heavy on you.(AU)

“But you have said in my hearing—
    I heard the very words—
‘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)

Footnotes

  1. Job 32:3 Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition Job, and so had condemned God
  2. Job 32:8 Or Spirit; also in verse 18
  3. Job 32:9 Or many; or great
  4. Job 33:13 Or that he does not answer for any of his actions
  5. Job 33:18 Or from crossing the river
  6. Job 33:22 Or to the place of the dead

Proclaiming Christ Crucified

And I, when I came to you, brothers,[a] (A)did not come proclaiming to you (B)the testimony[b] of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except (C)Jesus Christ and him crucified. And (D)I was with you (E)in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of (F)the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men[c] but (G)in the power of God.

Wisdom from the Spirit

Yet among (H)the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not (I)a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, (J)who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, (K)which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of (L)the rulers of this age understood this, for (M)if they had, they would not have crucified (N)the Lord of glory. But, as it is written,

(O)“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
    nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has (P)prepared (Q)for those who love him”—

10 these things (R)God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even (S)the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts (T)except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now (U)we have received not (V)the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this (W)in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, (X)interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.[d]

14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are (Y)folly to him, and (Z)he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The (AA)spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 (AB)“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But (AC)we have the mind of Christ.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:1 Or brothers and sisters
  2. 1 Corinthians 2:1 Some manuscripts mystery (or secret)
  3. 1 Corinthians 2:5 The Greek word anthropoi can refer to both men and women
  4. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or interpreting spiritual truths in spiritual language, or comparing spiritual things with spiritual

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom(A) as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.[a] For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.(B) I came to you(C) in weakness(D) with great fear and trembling.(E) My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,(F) but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,(G) so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.(H)

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature,(I) but not the wisdom of this age(J) or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.(K) No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery(L) that has been hidden(M) and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age(N) understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.(O) However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,
    what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”[b]
    the things God has prepared for those who love him—(P)

10 these are the things God has revealed(Q) to us by his Spirit.(R)

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts(S) except their own spirit(T) within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit(U) of the world,(V) but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom(W) but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.[c] 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God(X) but considers them foolishness,(Y) and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit(Z) makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord
    so as to instruct him?”[d](AA)

But we have the mind of Christ.(AB)

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:1 Some manuscripts proclaimed to you God’s mystery
  2. 1 Corinthians 2:9 Isaiah 64:4
  3. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual
  4. 1 Corinthians 2:16 Isaiah 40:13