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Job 32
Contemporary English Version
Job 32
Contemporary English Version
Elihu Is Upset with Job's Friends
32 Finally, these three men stopped arguing with Job, because he refused to admit he was guilty.
2 Elihu from Buz[a] was there, and he had become upset with Job for blaming God instead of himself. 3 He was also angry with Job's three friends for not being able to prove that Job was wrong. 4 Elihu was younger than these three, and he let them speak first. 5 But he became irritated when they could not answer Job, 6 and he said to them:
I am much younger than you,
so I have shown respect
by keeping silent.
7 I once believed age
was the source of wisdom;
8 now I truly realize
wisdom comes from God.
9 Age is no guarantee of wisdom
and understanding.
10 That's why I ask you
to listen to me.
I Eagerly Listened
* 11 I eagerly listened
to each of your arguments,
12 but not one of you proved
Job to be wrong.
13 You shouldn't say,
“We know what's right!
Let God punish him.”
14 Job hasn't spoken against me,
and so I won't answer him
with your arguments.
15 All of you are shocked;
you don't know what to say.
16 But am I to remain silent,
just because you
have stopped speaking?
17 No! I will give my opinion,
18 because I have so much to say,
that I can't keep quiet.
19 I am like a swollen wineskin,
and I will burst[b]
20 if I don't speak.
* 21 I don't know how to be unfair
or to flatter anyone—
22 if I did, my Creator
would quickly destroy me!
Footnotes
- 32.2 Elihu from Buz: The Hebrew text has “Elihu son of Barachel from Buz of the family of Ram.” Buz may have been somewhere in the territory of Edom; in Jeremiah 25.23 it is mentioned along with Dedan and Tema (see 6.19).
- 32.19 swollen wineskin … burst: While the juice from grapes was becoming wine, it would swell and stretch the skins in which it had been stored; sometimes the swelling would burst the wineskins.
Job 32
New International Version
Job 32
New International Version
Elihu
32 So these three men stopped answering Job,(A) because he was righteous in his own eyes.(B) 2 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) 3 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) 4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he.(I) 5 But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.
6 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.
7 I thought, ‘Age should speak;
advanced years should teach wisdom.’(K)
8 But it is the spirit[b](L) in a person,
the breath of the Almighty,(M) that gives them understanding.(N)
9 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)
Job 32
Amplified Bible
Job 32
Amplified Bible
Elihu Rebukes Job
32 So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes [and could not be persuaded otherwise by them]. 2 But Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became indignant. His indignation was kindled and burned and he became upset with Job because he justified himself rather than God [and even expressed doubts about God’s character]. 3 Elihu’s anger burned against Job’s three friends because they had found no answer [and were unable to determine Job’s error], and yet they had condemned Job and declared him to be in the wrong [and responsible for his own afflictions]. 4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because the others were years older than he. 5 And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouths of these three men, he burned with anger.
6 Then Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite said,
“I am young, and you are aged;
For that reason I was anxious and dared not tell you what I think.
7
“I thought age should speak,
And a multitude of years should teach wisdom.
8
“But there is [a vital force and] a spirit [of intelligence] in man,
And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.(A)
9
“Those [who are] abundant in years may not [always] be wise,
Nor may the elders [always] understand justice.
10
“Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me;
I also will give you my opinion [about Job’s situation] and tell you plainly what I think.’
11
“You see, I waited for your words,
I listened to your [wise] reasons,
While you pondered and searched out what to say.
12
“I even paid close attention to [what] you [said],
Indeed, not one of you convinced Job [nor could you refute him],
Not one of you supplied [satisfactory] answers to his words.
13
“Beware if you say,
‘We have found wisdom;
God thrusts Job down [justly], not man [for God alone is dealing with him].’
14
“Now Job has not directed his words against me [therefore I have no reason to be offended],
Nor will I answer him with arguments like yours. [I speak for truth, not for revenge.]
15
“They (Job’s friends) are dismayed and embarrassed, they no longer answer;
The words have moved away and failed them,” [says Elihu].
16
“And shall I wait, because they say nothing,
But stand still and say no more?
17
“I too will give my share of answers;
I too will express my opinion and share my knowledge.
18
“For I am full of words;
The spirit within me constrains me.
19
“My belly is like unvented wine;
Like new wineskins it is about to burst.
20
“I must speak so that I may get relief;
I will open my lips and answer.
21
“I will not [I warn you] be partial to any man [that is, let my respect for you mitigate what I say];
Nor flatter any man.
22
“For I do not know how to flatter, [in an appropriate way, and I fear that],
My Maker would soon take me away.
Job 32
New Catholic Bible
Job 32
New Catholic Bible
The Four Speeches of Elihu[a]
Chapter 32
Elihu’s Indignation Is Aroused.[b] 1 The three men then ceased to argue with Job because in his own eyes he was righteous. 2 Then Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite,[c] of the family of Ram, became very angry. He was furious because Job believed that he was righteous and that God was in error. 3 And he was also angry at Job’s three friends because they had never devised an answer to refute Job and thus had allowed God to appear to be wrong.
4 While Job and his friends had been conversing, Elihu had refrained from addressing Job, since the three companions were older than he. 5 But when Elihu perceived that the three had no answer to offer, he could no longer contain his anger.
Elihu’s First Speech
I Have Many Things To Say.[d] 6 Therefore Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, began to speak.
“I am young in years,
and you are old.
Therefore, I held my tongue
and hesitated to express my opinion to you.
7 I thought, ‘Age ought to speak;
many years will result in conveying wisdom.’
8 “But it is the spirit in a man,
the breath of the Almighty,
that gives him understanding.
9 It is not only the old who are wise;
it is not only the aged who understand what is right.
10 Therefore, I beg you to listen to me
and allow me to declare my opinion.
11 “I have been waiting to hear what you had to say,
and I listened attentively to your arguments
as each one of you chose your words with care.
12 I gave you my close attention,
but there is not one of you who has convicted Job
or refuted his statements.
13 Therefore, do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;
let God confute him, not men!’
14 Job has not addressed his words to me;
therefore, I will not answer him in the way you have done.
15 “These three men are confounded and unable to respond;
words have failed them.
16 Am I then to wait because they do not speak,
but simply stand there, stuck for an answer?
17 I also will now have my say;
it is my turn to express my opinion.
18 For I have many things to say,
and the spirit within me forces me to speak.
19 “I am ready to burst,
like a new wineskin with wine searching for a vent.
20 I must speak so that I may find relief;
I must open my lips and reply.
21 I will show no partiality to anyone,
nor will I use flattering words.
22 For I do not know how to flatter;
if I did, my Maker would soon do away with me.
Footnotes
- Job 32:1 The speeches of Elihu (chs. 32–37), like the composition on wisdom (ch. 28), were probably added to the Book of Job in a second phase of the Book’s history. The final editor was perhaps trying to soften the overly harsh positions put on the lips of Job. He tries to justify the intervention of this unexpected personage by saying that it was necessary to let the older men speak first. This champion of the rights of God adds little new except that he does a better job of situating suffering in the divine plan. When he has concluded his bit of eloquence, he is no longer mentioned.
- Job 32:1 Elihu’s four poetic speeches are introduced by five prose verses written by the author.
- Job 32:2 Buzite: i.e., an inhabitant of the desert region of Buz in north Arabia (see Jer 25:23).
- Job 32:6 Right from the beginning of this lengthy monologue, Elihu opposes his wisdom to that of the ancients. Intelligence does not result from the short views of experience or tradition but from receiving inspiration from God (Wis 1:6; Sir 1:1-10; Isa 28:26; Dan 1:17). He does not hurl false accusations at Job as his friends did but uses Job’s own words to criticize him (see Job 33:9-11; 34:5-6, 9; 35:2-3).
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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Amplified Bible (AMP) 
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