Chronological
Elihu Addresses Job and His Friends
32 These three men stopped responding to Job, because he was claiming to be righteous, in his own opinion.[a] 2 But then Barachel’s son Elihu from Buz, one of Ram’s descendants, got really angry. He was furious with Job because he had been declaring himself righteous instead of vindicating God. 3 Furthermore, he was furious with his three friends because they had not answered Job, but instead had condemned him. 4 Elihu waited to have a word with Job, since the others were older than he, 5 but when he saw that there had been no response[b] from those three, he got even more angry. 6 Barachel’s son Elihu from Buz responded and said:
“I’m younger than you are.
Because you’re older,[c] I was terrified
to tell you what I know.
7 I thought, experience[d] should speak;
abundance of years teaches wisdom.
8 However, a spirit exists in mankind,
and the Almighty’s breath gives him insight.”
There’s No Fool Like an Old Fool
9 “The aged aren’t always wise,
nor do the elderly always understand justice.
10 Therefore I’m saying, ‘Listen to me!’
Then I’ll declare what I know.
11 “Look! I have waited to hear your speech,
so I listened to your insights
while you searched for the right words to say.[e]
12 Indeed, I paid close attention to you all,
but none of you were able to refute[f] Job
or answer his arguments convincingly.
13 “So that you cannot claim, ‘We have found wisdom!’
let God do the rebuking, not man;
14 let him not direct a rebuke toward me.
I won’t be responding to him with your arguments.
15 “Job’s friends[g] won’t reason with him anymore;
discouraged, words escape them.
16 Shall I continue to wait, since they’re no longer talking?
After all, they’re only standing there;
they’re no longer responding.
17 “I will contribute my arguments[h] as an answer;
I’ll declare what I know,
18 because I’m filled with things to say,
and my spirit within me compels me to speak.[i]
19 My insides feel like unvented wine,
like it’s about to burst like a new wineskin.
20 “Let me speak! I need relief!
Let me open my lips and respond.
21 I won’t discriminate against anyone,
and I won’t flatter any person,
22 since I don’t know the first thing about how to flatter;
and the one who made me would sweep me away
as if I were nothing.”
Elihu Begins His Discourse
33 “Now please listen to what I have to say, Job.
Listen to every word!
2 Look! I’ve begun to speak,[j]
and I’m fashioning my words.[k]
3 I speak from the innocence[l] of my heart;
and my lips will utter what I sincerely know.
4 “The spirit of God fashioned me;
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 Answer me, if you can!
Present your case! Take your stand in my presence!
6 Look! As far as God is concerned,[m] I’m just like you are—
I, too, have been pinched off from a piece of clay.
7 Don’t be afraid of me;
I’ll go easy[n] on you.”
Elihu Reviews Job’s Claim for Innocence
8 “You spoke clearly so I could hear;
I’ve heard what you’ve said:
9 ‘I’m pure. I’m without sin;
I’m innocent. I’m harboring no iniquity inside of me.
10 Nevertheless, God[o] has found a pretext to attack me;
he considers me his enemy.
11 He has bound my feet in shackles,
and keeps watching everything I do.’”[p]
God Responds to Humanity’s Need
12 “You aren’t right about this;
My response is that God is greater than human beings.
13 Why are you arguing with him?
He doesn’t have to give explanations for what he does to you!
14 “God speaks time and time again[q]—
but nobody notices—
15 in a dream or night vision,
when a deep sleep falls on mankind
while they sleep on their beds.
16 That’s when he opens the ear of mankind,
authenticating his messages[r] to them,
17 turning a person from his actions,
keeping him[s] from pride,
18 sparing his soul from the Pit[t]
and his life from violent death.[u]
19 “He is being reproved by painful bed rest,
with continual aching in his bones.
20 He cannot stand his food,
and he[v] has no desire for appetizing food.
21 His flesh wastes away;
his bones, which once couldn’t be seen, are visible.
22 His soul is getting close to the Pit;[w]
his life is approaching its executioner.”
God Delivers through His Ransom
23 “If there’s a messenger[x] appointed to mediate for Job[y]
—one out of a thousand—
to represent the man’s integrity on his behalf,
24 to show favor to him and to plead,
‘Deliver him from having to go down to the Pit[z]—
I know where his ransom is!’
25 Let his flesh be rejuvenated[aa] as he was in his youth!
Let him recover the strength of his youth.
26 Let him pray to God
and he will accept him;
he will appear before him with joyful shouts!”
The Song of the Ransomed
27 “He’ll sing to mankind with these words:
‘I’ve sinned. I have twisted what is right.
Yet he has not repaid me like I deserve.[ab]
28 He has redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit;[ac]
my life will see the light.’
29 Indeed God does all these things
again and again[ad] with a person
30 to bring back his soul from the Pit;[ae]
to light him with the light of life.”
Elihu Invites Job to Respond
31 “Job, pay attention! Listen to me!
Be silent and let me speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
speak up, because I’d be happy to vindicate you.
33 But if you have nothing to say, then at least listen to me!
Be quiet and learn some wisdom from me.”
Elihu Continues Speaking
34 Elihu continued speaking, and said:
2 “Listen to what I have to say, you wise men!
Pay attention to me, you educated people!
3 Since the ear tests words
like a palate tastes food,
4 let’s choose what’s right for us.
Let’s consider among ourselves what is good.”
Elihu Reviews Job’s Complaint against God’s Injustice
5 Now this is Job’s claim:
‘Even though I’m innocent,
God has stopped treating me righteously.
6 Have I lied concerning the justice that I deserve?[af]
My wound[ag] is incurable,
though transgression cannot be attributed to me.’
7 “What man is like Job,
who drinks mockery like water,
8 traffics in those who practice evil,
and walks with wicked people?
9 Because he says, ‘There’s no profit
for a man to find joy with God.’”[ah]
God is Just
10 “Therefore you men of understanding,[ai] listen to me!
Far be it for God to practice wickedness,
or the Almighty to do what is wrong,
11 because he repays a person for his behavior;
and according to a person’s[aj] conduct,
he lets it happen to[ak] him.
12 Truly, God doesn’t practice wickedness,
and the Almighty doesn’t pervert justice.
13 Who entrusted the earth to him?
Who made him responsible for the entire inhabited world?
14 If he were to decide to do so,
that is, to take back to himself[al] his spirit and breath of life,[am]
15 every living thing would die all at once,[an]
and mankind would return to dust.”
God’s Rule is Just
16 If you have[ao] understanding, listen to this!
Pay attention to what I have to say:
17 Can one who hates justice really govern?
And if God[ap] is righteous and mighty, can you condemn him?[aq]
18 Can one say to a king, ‘You’re vile!’
or to nobles, ‘You’re wicked!’?
19 Who isn’t partial to[ar] princes?
Who doesn’t give preference to the nobles over the poor?
Nevertheless, all of them are his handiwork.
20 “They die suddenly, in the middle of the night;
people suffer seizures and pass away;
even valiant men can be taken away—
and not by human hands.
21 Yes, Job,[as] his eyes constantly watch the behavior of human beings;
he carefully observes their every step.
22 There’s no such thing as darkness to him—
not even deep darkness—
that can conceal those who practice evil.
23 He won’t examine mankind further,
that they would go before God to judgment.
24 He shatters valiant men without a need to investigate,
and he raises others in their place.
25 Thus he acknowledges their behavior, and overcomes them;
when night time comes, they are crushed.
26 “He strikes[at] the wicked among them
in a place where they can be seen
27 because they’ve abandoned their pursuit of him
and had no respect for any of his ways.
28 As a result, the cries of the poor have reached him
and he has heard the cry of the afflicted.
29 “If he remains silent, who will condemn him?
If he conceals his face, who can see him?
He watches over both nation and individual alike,
30 to keep the godless man from reigning
or laying a snare for the people.”
Elihu’s Challenge to Job
31 “Has anyone ever really told God,
‘I’ve endured,[au] and I won’t act corruptly anymore.
32 What I don’t see, instruct me!
If I’ve done anything evil, I won’t repeat it!’
33 “Should you not be paid back,
since you have rejected him?
You do the choosing! I won’t!
Tell us what you know!
Elihu’s Verdict: Job is not Wise
34 “Men of understanding, speak to me!
Are any of you men wise? Then listen to me!
35 Job has been speaking from his own ignorance,
and what he has to say lacks insight!
36 Oh, how Job needs to be given a full court trial,
as a rebuke to those who practice evil,
37 because he has been adding rebellion to his sin;
he claps his hands among us,[av]
and keeps on ranting against God.”
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