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32 And these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

Then was kindled the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel, the Buzite, of the family of Ram: against Job was his anger kindled, because he justified himself rather than God;

and against his three friends was his anger kindled, because they found no answer, and [yet] condemned Job.

But Elihu had waited till Job had finished speaking, because they were older than he.

And Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, and his anger was kindled.

And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are aged; wherefore I was timid, and feared to shew you what I know.

I said, Let days speak, and multitude of years teach wisdom.

But there is a spirit which is in man; and the breath of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

It is not the great that are wise; neither do the aged understand judgment.

10 Therefore I say, Hearken to me; I also will shew what I know.

11 Lo, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasonings, until ye searched out what to say.

12 Yea, I gave you mine attention, and behold, there was none of you that confuted Job, that answered his words;

13 That ye may not say, We have found out wisdom; God will make him yield, not man.

14 Now he hath not directed [his] words against me; and I will not answer him with your speeches. …

15 They were amazed, they answered no more; words failed them.

16 And I waited, for they spoke not, but stood still, and answered no more;—

17 I will answer, I also in my turn, I also will shew what I know:

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

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

20 I will speak, that I may find relief; I will open my lips and answer.

21 Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person; neither will I give flattery to man.

22 For I know not how to flatter; my Maker would soon take me away.

33 Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear mine utterances, and hearken to all my words.

Behold now, I have opened my mouth, my tongue speaketh in my palate,

My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart, and my lips shall utter knowledge purely.

The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

If thou canst, answer me; array [thy words] before me: take thy stand.

Behold, before God I am as thou; I also am formed out of the clay.

Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, nor my burden be heavy upon thee.

Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of [thy] words:—

I am clean without transgression; I am pure, and there is no iniquity in me;

10 Lo, he findeth occasions of hostility against me, he counteth me for his enemy;

11 He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.

12 Behold, I will answer thee in this, thou art not right; for +God is greater than man.

13 Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.

14 For God speaketh once, and twice,—[and man] perceiveth it not—

15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;

16 Then he openeth men's ears, and sealeth their instruction,

17 That he may withdraw man [from his] work, and hide pride from man.

18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from passing away by the sword.

19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and with constant strife in his bones;

20 And his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty food;

21 His flesh is consumed away from view, and his bones that were not seen stick out;

22 And his soul draweth near to the pit, and his life to the destroyers.

23 If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his duty;

24 Then he will be gracious unto him, and say, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.

25 His flesh shall be fresher than in childhood; he shall return to the days of his youth.

26 He shall pray unto +God, and he will receive him with favour; and he shall see his face with shoutings, and he will render unto man his righteousness.

27 He will sing before men, and say, I have sinned, and perverted what was right, and it hath not been requited to me;

28 He hath delivered my soul from going into the pit, and my life shall see the light.

29 Lo, all these [things] worketh God twice, thrice, with man,

30 To bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of the living.

31 Mark well, Job, hearken unto me; be silent, and I will speak.

32 If thou hast anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify thee.

33 If not, hearken thou unto me; be silent, and I will teach thee wisdom.

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)

33 “But now, Job, listen(AH) to my words;
    pay attention to everything I say.(AI)
I am about to open my mouth;
    my words are on the tip of my tongue.
My words come from an upright heart;(AJ)
    my lips sincerely speak what I know.(AK)
The Spirit(AL) of God has made me;(AM)
    the breath of the Almighty(AN) gives me life.(AO)
Answer me(AP) then, if you can;
    stand up(AQ) and argue your case before me.(AR)
I am the same as you in God’s sight;(AS)
    I too am a piece of clay.(AT)
No fear of me should alarm you,
    nor should my hand be heavy on you.(AU)

“But you have said in my hearing—
    I heard the very words—
‘I am pure,(AV) I have done no wrong;(AW)
    I am clean and free from sin.(AX)
10 Yet God has found fault with me;
    he considers me his enemy.(AY)
11 He fastens my feet in shackles;(AZ)
    he keeps close watch on all my paths.’(BA)

12 “But I tell you, in this you are not right,
    for God is greater than any mortal.(BB)
13 Why do you complain to him(BC)
    that he responds to no one’s words[d]?(BD)
14 For God does speak(BE)—now one way, now another(BF)
    though no one perceives it.(BG)
15 In a dream,(BH) in a vision(BI) of the night,(BJ)
    when deep sleep(BK) falls on people
    as they slumber in their beds,
16 he may speak(BL) in their ears
    and terrify them(BM) with warnings,(BN)
17 to turn them from wrongdoing
    and keep them from pride,(BO)
18 to preserve them from the pit,(BP)
    their lives from perishing by the sword.[e](BQ)

19 “Or someone may be chastened(BR) on a bed of pain(BS)
    with constant distress in their bones,(BT)
20 so that their body finds food(BU) repulsive
    and their soul loathes the choicest meal.(BV)
21 Their flesh wastes away to nothing,
    and their bones,(BW) once hidden, now stick out.(BX)
22 They draw near to the pit,(BY)
    and their life to the messengers of death.[f](BZ)
23 Yet if there is an angel at their side,
    a messenger,(CA) one out of a thousand,
    sent to tell them how to be upright,(CB)
24 and he is gracious to that person and says to God,
    ‘Spare them from going down to the pit;(CC)
    I have found a ransom for them(CD)
25 let their flesh be renewed(CE) like a child’s;
    let them be restored as in the days of their youth’(CF)
26 then that person can pray to God and find favor with him,(CG)
    they will see God’s face and shout for joy;(CH)
    he will restore them to full well-being.(CI)
27 And they will go to others and say,
    ‘I have sinned,(CJ) I have perverted what is right,(CK)
    but I did not get what I deserved.(CL)
28 God has delivered(CM) me from going down to the pit,(CN)
    and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’(CO)

29 “God does all these things to a person(CP)
    twice, even three times(CQ)
30 to turn them back(CR) from the pit,(CS)
    that the light of life(CT) may shine on them.(CU)

31 “Pay attention, Job, and listen(CV) to me;(CW)
    be silent,(CX) and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;(CY)
    speak up, for I want to vindicate you.(CZ)
33 But if not, then listen to me;(DA)
    be silent,(DB) and I will teach you wisdom.(DC)

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
  4. Job 33:13 Or that he does not answer for any of his actions
  5. Job 33:18 Or from crossing the river
  6. Job 33:22 Or to the place of the dead