Print Page Options

Elihu’s Angry Response

32 So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.(A) Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite(B) from the family of Ram became angry. He was angry at Job because he had justified(C) himself rather than God. He was also angry at Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute him and yet had condemned him.[a]

Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were all older than he. But when he saw that the three men could not answer Job, he became angry.

So Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite replied:

I am young in years,
while you are old;
therefore I was timid and afraid
to tell(D) you what I know.
I thought that age should speak
and maturity should teach wisdom.
But it is the spirit in a person –
the breath(E) from the Almighty –
that gives anyone understanding.
It is not only the old who are wise
or the elderly who understand how to judge.
10 Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me.
I too will declare what I know.’
11 Look, I waited for your conclusions;
I listened to your insights
as you sought for words.
12 I paid close attention to you.
Yet no one proved Job wrong;
not one of you refuted his arguments.
13 So do not claim, ‘We have found wisdom;
let God deal with him, not man.’
14 But Job has not directed his argument to me,
and I will not respond to him with your arguments.

15 Job’s friends are dismayed and can no longer answer;
words have left them.
16 Should I continue to wait now that they are silent,
now that they stand there and no longer answer?
17 I too will answer;[b]
yes, I will tell what I know.
18 For I am full of words,
and my spirit[c] compels me to speak.(F)
19 My heart[d] is like bottled-up wine;
it is about to burst like new wineskins.(G)
20 I must speak so that I can find relief;
I must open my lips and respond.
21 I will be partial to no one,(H)
and I will not give anyone an undeserved title.
22 For I do not know how to give such titles;
otherwise, my Maker would remove me in an instant.

Footnotes

  1. 32:3 Alt Hb tradition reads condemned God
  2. 32:17 Lit answer my part
  3. 32:18 Lit and the spirit of my belly
  4. 32:19 Lit belly

Ê-li-hu lên tiếng

32 Ba người bạn đó thôi không nói với Gióp nữa vì ông tự thấy mình phải. Nhưng Ê-li-hu, con trai Ba-ra-kên, người Bu-xi, thuộc gia đình Ram, nổi giận cùng Gióp, vì Gióp cho mình phải hơn Thượng Đế. Ê-li-hu cũng nổi giận với ba người bạn của Gióp vì họ không chứng minh được Gióp có lỗi mà lại tiếp tục lên án ông. Ê-li-hu chờ đợi để nói với Gióp vì ba người bạn kia đều lớn tuổi hơn mình. Sau khi Ê-li-hu thấy họ không còn có gì để nói nữa thì đâm ra bực tức. Vậy Ê-li-hu, con trai Ba-ra-kên, người Bu-xi lên tiếng:

“Tôi còn trẻ, còn các anh đều đã lớn tuổi.
    Vì thế nên tôi ngại không dám nói điều tôi biết.
Tôi nghĩ, ‘Người lớn tuổi nên nói,
    và kẻ sống lâu năm nên dạy khôn.’
Nhưng chính thật ra thần linh trong con người,
    hơi thở của Đấng Toàn Năng mới ban thông sáng.
Chẳng phải già mà tự nhiên khôn;
    cũng chẳng phải lớn tuổi mà hiểu điều phải.

10 Cho nên tôi nói, các anh hãy nghe đây.
    Tôi cũng có thể nói cho các anh điều tôi biết.
11 Tôi chờ cho các anh nói,
    và lắng nghe lời giải thích của các anh.
    Trong khi các anh đang tìm chữ để nói,
12 Tôi quan sát các anh rất kỹ.
    Nhưng không ai trong các anh chứng tỏ Gióp sai quấy;
    không ai đối đáp với lý lẽ Gióp đưa ra.
13 Đừng nói, ‘Chúng ta đã tìm được sự khôn ngoan;
    chỉ một mình Thượng Đế mới có thể chứng tỏ Gióp sai quấy,
    chớ không phải người ta.’
14 Lời nói của Gióp không phải để bài bác tôi,
    cho nên tôi sẽ không dùng lý lẽ của các anh để đối đáp với Gióp.

15 Ba người bạn nầy thua rồi, chẳng có gì nữa để nói;
    họ hết chữ để nói rồi.
16 Bây giờ họ đứng đó không biết đối đáp với Gióp ra sao.
    Họ đã im lặng, tôi có phải chờ để lên tiếng không?
17 Không, tôi cũng sẽ nói,
    và bảo các anh điều tôi biết.
18 Tôi có đầy đủ chữ,
    thần linh trong tôi giục tôi nói.
19 Tôi như rượu đựng kín trong chai;
    sẵn sàng bùng ra như bầu rượu mới.
20 Tôi phải nói để xả hơi;
    Tôi phải mở miệng và lên tiếng.
21 Tôi sẽ công bằng đối với mọi người,
    và không nịnh hót ai.
22 Tôi không biết nịnh nọt,
    vì nếu tôi làm thế, Đấng Tạo Hóa sẽ diệt tôi ngay.”

The Speeches of Elihu(A)

32 Because Job was convinced of his own innocence, the three men gave up trying to answer him. But a bystander named Elihu could not control his anger any longer, because Job was justifying himself and blaming God. (Elihu was the son of Barakel, a descendant of Buz, and belonged to the clan of Ram.) He was also angry with Job's three friends. They could not find any way to answer Job, and this made it appear that God was in the wrong. Because Elihu was the youngest one there, he had waited until everyone finished speaking. When he saw that the three men could not answer Job, he was angry and began to speak.

Elihu

I am young, and you are old,
    so I was afraid to tell you what I think.
I told myself that you ought to speak,
    that you older men should share your wisdom.
But it is the spirit of Almighty God
    that comes to us and gives us wisdom.
It is not growing old that makes us wise
    or helps us to know what is right.
10 So now I want you to listen to me;
    let me tell you what I think.

11 I listened patiently while you were speaking
    and waited while you searched for wise phrases.
12 I paid close attention and heard you fail;
    you have not disproved what Job has said.
13 How can you claim you have discovered wisdom?
    God must answer Job, for you have failed.
14 Job was speaking to you, not to me,
    but I would never answer the way you did.

15 Words have failed them, Job;
    they have no answer for you.
16 Shall I go on waiting when they are silent?
    They stand there with nothing more to say.
17 No, I will give my own answer now
    and tell you what I think.
18 I can hardly wait to speak.
    I can't hold back the words.
19 If I don't get a chance to speak,
    I will burst like a wineskin full of new wine.
20 I can't stand it; I have to speak.
21 I will not take sides in this debate;
    I am not going to flatter anyone.
22 I don't know how to flatter,
    and God would quickly punish me if I did.

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)

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

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 kindred 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 waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he.

When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then 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 was afraid, and durst not shew you mine opinion.

I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.

But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

Great men are not always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment.

10 Therefore I said, Hearken to me; I also will shew mine opinion.

11 Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say.

12 Yea, I attended unto you, and, behold, there was none of you that convinced Job, or that answered his words:

13 Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man.

14 Now he hath not directed his words against me: neither will I answer him with your speeches.

15 They were amazed, they answered no more: they left off speaking.

16 When I had waited, (for they spake not, but stood still, and answered no more;)

17 I said, I will answer also my part, I also will shew mine opinion.

18 For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me.

19 Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new bottles.

20 I will speak, that I may be refreshed: I will open my lips and answer.

21 Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man.

22 For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my maker would soon take me away.