Beginning
Elihu Speaks
32 These three men stopped trying to answer Job, because he was ·so sure he was right [right/righteous in his own eyes]. 2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, from the family of Ram, became very angry with Job, because Job ·claimed he was right instead of [or he was more right/righteous than] God. 3 Elihu was also angry with Job’s three friends who had no answer to show that Job was wrong, yet continued to ·blame him [treat him as wrong]. 4 Elihu had waited before speaking to Job, because the three friends were older than he was. 5 But when Elihu saw that the three men had nothing more to say, he became very angry.
6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said this:
“I am young,
and you are ·old [aged].
That is why I was ·afraid [L timid and afraid]
to tell you ·what I know [my opinion].
7 I thought, ‘·Older people should [L Let days] speak,
and those who have lived many years should ·teach [make known; reveal] wisdom.’
8 But it is the spirit in a person,
the breath of ·the Almighty [Shaddai], that gives understanding.
9 It is not just ·older people [L the many] who are wise;
·they [L the elders] are not the only ones who understand ·what is right [justice].
10 So I say, listen to me.
I too will ·tell [show] you ·what I know [my opinion].
11 I waited ·while you three spoke [L for your words],
and ·listened [bent an ear] to your ·explanations [or arguments].
While you ·looked for words to use,
12 I paid close attention to you.
But not one of you has proved Job wrong;
none of you has answered his arguments.
13 Don’t say, ‘We have found wisdom;
only God will show Job to be wrong, not people.’
14 Job has not spoken his words against me,
so I will not use your arguments to answer Job.
15 “·These three friends [L They] are ·defeated [dismayed; discouraged] and ·have no more to say [cannot answer];
words have failed them.
16 Now they are standing there with no answers for Job.
·Now that they are quiet [L If they don’t speak], must I wait to speak?
17 No, I too will speak
and ·tell what I know [share my opinion].
18 I am full of words,
and the spirit in me ·causes me to speak [compels me].
19 I am like wine that has ·been bottled up [no vent/opening];
I am ready to burst like a new leather wine bag.
20 I must speak so I will feel relief;
I must open my ·mouth [L lips] and answer.
21 I will ·be fair to everyone [L not favor anyone]
and not flatter anyone.
22 I don’t know how to flatter,
and if I did, my Maker would quickly take me away.
33 “Now, Job, ·listen to [hear] my words.
Pay attention to ·everything I say [L all my words].
2 I open my mouth
and ·am ready to speak [L the tongue in my mouth speaks].
3 My words come from an ·honest [virtuous] heart,
and ·I am sincere in saying what I know [L what my lips know they speak with sincerity].
4 The Spirit of God ·created [has made] me,
and the breath of ·the Almighty [Shaddai] gave me life.
5 Answer me if you can;
get yourself ready and stand before me.
6 I am just like you before God;
I too ·am made [was formed] out of clay.
7 ·Don’t be afraid of me [L Dread of me should not scare you];
·I will not be hard on you [L My pressure will not be too heavy on you].
8 “But ·I heard what you have said [L you have spoken in my ear];
I heard ·every word [L the sound of your words].
9 You said, ‘I am pure and without ·sin [transgression];
I am ·innocent [L clean] and free from guilt.
10 But God has found ·fault [reason to be upset] with me;
he ·considers me [thinks I am] his enemy.
11 He ·locks [places] my feet in ·chains [shackles]
and ·closely watches everywhere I go [L guards all my paths].’
12 “But I tell you, you are not ·right in saying this [L correct],
I will answer you, for God is greater than ·we are [L any human being].
13 Why do you ·accuse [contend with] God
·of not answering anyone [or for no one can answer all his words]?
14 God does speak—sometimes ·one way and sometimes another [or once and sometimes twice]—
even though people may not ·understand [perceive] it.
15 He speaks in a dream or a vision of the night
when people are in a deep sleep,
lying on their beds in slumber.
16 He ·speaks in [L opens] their ears
and frightens them with warnings
17 to turn them away from doing wrong
and to keep them from being proud.
18 God does this to ·save people [L keep them] from ·death [L the Pit; C a reference to the grave and the underworld],
to keep them from ·dying [L the water channel; C another reference to the grave and the underworld].
19 People may be ·corrected [reprimanded; reproved] while in bed in great pain;
they may have continual pain in their very bones.
20 ·They may be in such pain that they even hate [L Their lives loathe] food,
even ·the very best meal [choice food].
21 ·Their body becomes so thin [L Their flesh wastes away so that] ·there is almost nothing left of it [L it cannot be seen],
and their bones that were hidden now stick out.
22 ·They are [L Their souls draw] near ·death [L the Pit; 33:18],
and their life ·is almost over [L comes near those who bring death].
23 “·But there may be [L If there is] an angel to speak for him,
one out of a thousand, ·who will tell him what to do [a mediator who declares a person virtuous].
24 The angel will ·beg for mercy [or be gracious to him] and say:
‘·Save [Redeem] him from ·death [L going down to the Pit; 33:18].
I have found a ·way to pay for his life [ransom].’
25 Then his body is made new like a ·child’s [youth’s].
It will return to the way it was when he was ·young [vigorous].
26 That person will pray to God, and God will ·listen to [L accept] him.
He will see God’s face and will shout with happiness.
And ·God will set things right for him again [or he will repeat to others that he has been vindicated].
27 Then he will ·say [L sing] to others,
‘I sinned and ·twisted what was right [perverted/sullied virtue],
but I did not receive the punishment I should have received.
28 God ·bought [redeemed] my life ·back from death [L from crossing over to the Pit; 33:18],
and ·I will continue to enjoy life [L my life will yet see the light].’
29 “God does all these things to a person
two or even three times
30 ·so he won’t die as punishment for his sins [L to bring back his life from the Pit; 33:18]
and so he may ·still enjoy life [L be illuminated with the light of life].
31 “Job, pay attention and listen to me;
be quiet, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
speak up, because I want to ·prove you right [vindicate you].
33 But if you have nothing to say, then listen to me;
be quiet, and I will teach you wisdom.”
34 Then Elihu answered:
2 “Hear my words, you wise men;
listen to me, you who know a lot.
3 The ear tests words
as the ·tongue [L palate] tastes food.
4 Let’s ·decide [choose] for ourselves what is ·right [just],
and let’s learn together what is good.
5 “Job says, ‘I am ·not guilty [right/righteous],
and God has ·refused me a fair trial [L turned justice away from me].
6 ·Instead of getting a fair trial [concerning my case],
I am ·called [considered] a liar.
·I have been seriously hurt [An arrow has given me an incurable wound; L My arrow is incurable],
even though I have not sinned.’
7 ·There is no other [L Who is a…?] man like Job;
he ·takes [or receives] ·insults [ridicule; scoffing] as if he were drinking water.
8 He ·keeps company [travels] with those who do evil
and ·spends time [L goes] with wicked men,
9 because he says, ‘It is no use
to try to please God.’
10 “So listen to me, you who ·can understand [or are sensible].
God can never do wrong!
It is impossible for the Almighty to do evil.
11 God pays people back for what they have done
and ·gives them what their actions deserve [L finds them out according to their ways].
12 Truly God will never do wrong;
the Almighty will never ·twist [pervert] ·what is right [justice].
13 ·No one [L Who…?] chose God to rule over the earth
or put him in charge of the whole world.
14 If God should ·decide [L set his mind/heart to himself]
to take away ·life [L spirit] and breath,
15 then ·everyone [L all flesh] would ·die [expire] together
and turn back into dust.
16 “If you can understand, hear this;
·listen to what I have to say [L give ear to my words].
17 Can anyone govern who hates what is right?
How can you ·blame God [L condemn one] who is both ·fair [righteous] and powerful?
18 ·God [L Who…?] is the one who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’
or to important people, ‘You are evil.’
19 He ·is not nicer to princes than other people [L shows no favoritism to princes],
nor ·kinder [L gives more recognition] to ·rich people [nobles] than poor people,
because he made them all with his own hands [Prov. 14:31; 17:5; 22:2].
20 They can die in a moment, in the middle of the night.
·They are struck down [L The people are shaken], and then they pass away;
powerful people ·die [are taken away] ·without help [or not by human hand].
21 “·God watches where people go [L His eyes are on the path of people];
he sees every step they take.
22 There is no dark place or deep shadow
where those who do evil can hide from him.
23 He does not set a time
for people to come before him for judging.
24 Without ·asking questions [investigation; inquiry], God breaks powerful people into pieces
and puts others in their place.
25 Because God knows what people do,
he ·defeats [overturns] them in the night, and they are crushed.
26 He ·punishes [slaps] them for the evil they do
so that everyone else can watch,
27 because they ·stopped [turned away from] following God
and did not care about any of his ways.
28 The cry of the poor comes to God;
he hears the cry of the ·needy [afflicted].
29 But if God keeps quiet, who can blame him?
If he hides his face, who among nations or people can see him?
30 He keeps the wicked from ruling
and from trapping others.
31 “But suppose someone says to God,
‘I ·am guilty, but [or have endured punishment, so] I will not sin anymore.
32 Teach me what I cannot see.
If I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’
33 So, Job, should God ·reward [or make peace with] you as you want
·when [or since] you refuse to change?
You must ·decide [choose], not I,
so tell me what you know.
34 “Those ·who understand [with sense] speak,
and the wise who hear me say,
35 ‘Job speaks without knowing what is true;
his words show he ·does not understand [has no insight].’
36 I wish Job would be ·tested completely [examined forever],
because he answered like an evil man!
37 Job now adds to his sin ·by turning against God [with transgression].
He ·claps his hands in protest [L claps among us; C clapping is a sign of protest or contempt],
speaking more and more against God.”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.