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Elihu Answers in Anger

32 Then these three men ceased answering Job because he was (A)righteous in his own eyes. But the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel the (B)Buzite, of the family of Ram, burned; against Job his anger burned (C)because he was proving himself righteous [a](D)before God. And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. Now Elihu had waited with his words for Job because they were years older than he. Then Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, so his anger burned.

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

“I am young in years and you are (E)old;
Therefore I was shy and afraid to tell you my knowledge.
I [b]thought [c](F)age should speak,
And [d]increased years should make wisdom known.
But it is a spirit in man,
And the (G)breath of the Almighty gives them (H)understanding.
The [e]abundant in years may not be wise,
Nor may (I)elders understand justice.
10 So I [f]say, ‘Listen to me,
I too will tell my knowledge.’

11 “Behold, I waited for your words,
I gave ear to your reasonings,
While you searched out what to say.
12 I even carefully considered you;
And behold, there was no one who reproved Job,
Not one of you who answered his words.
13 Lest you say,
(J)We have found wisdom;
God will drive him away, not man.’
14 Now he has not arranged his words against me,
Nor will I respond to him with your words.

15 “They are dismayed; they no longer answer;
Words have moved away from them.
16 Shall I wait, because they do not speak,
Because they stand still and no longer answer?
17 I myself will also answer my share;
I also will tell my knowledge.
18 For I am full of words;
The spirit within my belly presses me.
19 Behold, my belly is like unvented wine, not opened;
Like new wineskins it is about to burst.
20 Let me speak that I may get relief;
Let me open my lips and answer.
21 Let me now (K)be partial to no one,
Nor flatter any man.
22 For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my Maker would soon carry me away.

Footnotes

  1. Job 32:2 Or more than; lit from
  2. Job 32:7 Lit said
  3. Job 32:7 Lit days
  4. Job 32:7 Lit many
  5. Job 32:9 Or nobles
  6. Job 32:10 Or said

Discours d’Élihou

L’intervention d’Elihou

32 Comme Job persistait à se considérer juste, ces trois hommes cessèrent de lui répondre. Alors Elihou, fils de Barakéel, de Bouz[a], et du groupe familial de Ram, se mit en colère. Il se mit en colère contre Job parce que celui-ci se disait plus juste que Dieu[b]. Il était aussi en colère contre ses trois amis parce qu’ils n’avaient pas trouvé comment lui répondre, et qu’ils avaient ainsi condamné Dieu[c]. Elihou avait attendu avant de s’adresser à Job, parce que les trois amis étaient plus âgés que lui. Mais lorsque Elihou s’aperçut qu’ils n’avaient plus rien à lui répondre, il se mit en colère. Elihou, fils de Barakéel, de Bouz, prit donc la parole et dit :

Elihou revendique le droit à la parole

Moi, je suis jeune ; ╵vous, vous êtes âgés.
C’est pourquoi j’ai eu peur,
oui, j’ai craint de vous exposer ╵ce que je sais.
Je me disais :
« Ceux qui ont un âge avancé ╵sauront parler,
l’expérience de l’âge ╵fera connaître la sagesse. »
Mais, en réalité, ╵en l’homme, c’est l’Esprit,
l’inspiration du Tout-Puissant ╵qui lui donne l’intelligence.
Un grand nombre d’années ╵ne rend pas forcément plus sage
et ce ne sont pas les vieillards ╵qui comprennent ce qui est juste.
10 Ecoute-moi :
j’exposerai ╵moi aussi mon savoir.

11 Jusqu’ici, j’attendais, ╵j’écoutais vos discours
et vos raisonnements
pour vous laisser ╵critiquer ses propos.
12 Avec toute mon attention ╵je vous ai écoutés,
mais aucun de vous trois ╵n’a pu convaincre Job,
aucun de vous ╵n’a réfuté ses dires.
13 Surtout ne dites pas : ╵« Nous, nous savons ce qu’il en est :
Dieu seul, et non pas l’homme, ╵pourra le réfuter. »
14 Pourtant ce n’est pas contre moi ╵que Job a dirigé ╵tous ses propos.
Je ne lui répondrai donc pas ╵avec des mots comme les vôtres.

15 Les voilà[d] tout déconcertés, ╵ils n’ont plus rien à dire.
Les mots leur font défaut.
16 J’ai attendu… ╵Puisqu’ils ne parlent plus,
qu’ils ont cessé ╵de donner la réplique,
17 je veux donc, moi aussi, ╵répondre pour ma part,
oui, moi aussi, exposer mon savoir.
18 Car je suis plein ╵de mots à dire
et mon esprit ╵me presse de parler.
19 Voici : dans mon être intérieur, ╵c’est comme un vin nouveau ╵qui serait sous pression,
comme des outres neuves ╵sur le point d’éclater.
20 Ainsi je parlerai ╵pour respirer à l’aise,
j’ouvrirai donc la bouche ╵et je répliquerai.
21 Je veux être impartial
et ne flatter personne.
22 D’ailleurs, je ne sais pas ╵l’art de la flatterie,
et celui qui m’a fait ╵m’enlèverait bien vite.

Footnotes

  1. 32.2 Bouz, frère d’Outs (Jb 1.1 ; Gn 22.21) : le pays de Bouz est mentionné dans Jr 25.23 avec Téma et Dedân comme faisant partie de l’Arabie.
  2. 32.2 Voir 35.2.
  3. 32.3 Les copistes juifs indiquent en marge qu’ils ont corrigé le texte original pour mettre : et qu’ils avaient ainsi condamné Job. Ces copistes voulaient éviter l’idée d’une condamnation de Dieu.
  4. 32.15 C’est-à-dire les trois amis de Job.

Elihu blander sig i samtalen

32 De tre venner besluttede, at de ikke ville sige mere, for Job blev ved med at hævde sin uskyld.

Men der var en fjerde ven, som havde lyttet til samtalen uden at sige noget. Han hed Elihu og var søn af Barakel af Rams slægt fra byen Buz. Han var opbragt over, at Job ville retfærdiggøre sig selv overfor Gud. Han var også vred på de tre venner, fordi de fordømte Job uden at kunne svare på hans spørgsmål. Fordi Elihu var yngre end de andre, ventede han, mens de talte med Job. Men da de tre venner ikke kunne give ham svar på tiltale, kunne Elihu ikke længere beherske sin vrede. Han sagde:

„Jeg er meget yngre end jer,
    så derfor holdt jeg mig tilbage
        og tøvede med at sige min mening.
Jeg tænkte: ‚Lad de ældre tale,
    for livserfaring giver visdom.’
Men det er Guds Ånd, der giver indsigt,
    når det drejer sig om åndelige ting.
Altså er det ikke kun et spørgsmål om alder.
    De ældre er ikke nødvendigvis de klogeste.
10 Derfor siger jeg: ‚Hør også på mig.
    Lad mig sige, hvad jeg er kommet frem til.’
11 Jeg ventede altså, mens I talte,
    og lyttede til jeres kloge kommentarer,
        mens I ledte efter ordene.
12 Jeg lyttede meget opmærksomt,
    men ingen af jer kunne overbevise Job
        eller besvare hans spørgsmål.
13 Sig nu ikke: ‚Han er for snedig for os.
    Det bliver Guds sag at overbevise ham.’
14 Hvis Job havde henvendt sig til mig,
    ville jeg bestemt ikke have svaret ham, som I gjorde.
15 Men nu er jeres ord sluppet op,
    og I aner ikke, hvad I skal svare.
16 Skal jeg da pænt sidde og vente på,
    at I finder på noget at sige?
17 Nej, nu vil jeg fortælle jer, hvad jeg mener,
    sige, hvad selv en ung som jeg er klar over.
18 Jeg er fuld af ord, der presser sig på,
    og ånden i mit indre må have luft.
19 Jeg er som en vinsæk, der er ved at sprænges
    på grund af kraften fra den gærende vin.
20 Jeg må give luft for mine indestængte ord,
    åbne min mund og tale frit fra leveren.
21 Jeg vil ikke tage parti for nogen af jer,
    og jeg vil ikke smigre folk.
22 Nej, jeg vil ikke gøre brug af smiger,
    for så ville Gud straffe mig.

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