Job 32

Modern

Literal

Elihu Rebukes Job’s Friends

¹So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

¹And these three men ceased from answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

²This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He burned with anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God,

²But the anger of Elihu son of Barachel, the Buzite from the family of Ram, was kindled; his anger was kindled against Job, upon his justifying himself rather than God.

³and he burned with anger against Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute Job, and yet had condemned him.

³And his anger was kindled against his three friends, upon that they had not found an answer, and they had declared Job wrong.

⁴Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because the others were older than he.

⁴And Elihu had waited with words to Job, because they were older than he in days.

⁵But when he saw that the three men had no further reply, his anger was kindled.

⁵And Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, and his anger was kindled.

⁶So Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite declared:

“I am young in years,

while you are old;

that is why I was timid and afraid

to tell you what I know.

⁶And Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, “I am Young in days, and you are aged; upon thus I shrank back, and I was afraid of declaring my knowledge to you.

⁷I thought that age should speak,

and many years should teach wisdom.

⁷I said, “Days shall speak, and a multitude of years shall make known wisdom.’

⁸But there is a spirit^a in a man,

the breath of the Almighty,

that gives him understanding.

⁸Surely it is a spirit in a man, and the breath of Shaddai gives them understanding.

⁹It is not only the old^a who are wise,

or the elderly who understand justice.

⁹Not only the great in years are wise, nor do only the aged understand justice.

¹⁰Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me;

I too will declare what I know.’

¹⁰Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me; I will declare my knowledge, even I.’

¹¹Indeed, I waited while you spoke;

I listened to your reasoning;

as you searched for words,

¹¹Behold, I have waited for your words; I gave my ear to your reasonings, while you searched for the words.

¹²I paid you full attention.

But no one proved Job wrong;

not one of you rebutted his arguments.

¹²And to you I attended, and behold, there was no one proving Job wrong or answering his words among you,

¹³So do not claim, ‘We have found wisdom;

let God, not man, refute him.’

¹³lest you say, ‘We have found wisdom; let God drive him away, not man.’

¹⁴But Job has not directed his words against me,

and I will not answer him with your arguments.

¹⁴And he has not arrayed his words toward me, and I will not answer him with your words.

¹⁵Job’s friends are dismayed, with no more to say;

words have escaped them.

¹⁵They are dismayed, and do not answer anymore; the words have gone away from them.

¹⁶Must I wait, now that they are silent,

now that they stand and no longer reply?

¹⁶And I have waited, because they do not speak, because they stand there and do not answer anymore?

¹⁷I too will answer;

yes, I will declare what I know.

¹⁷I will answer—even I—my portion; I will show my knowledge—even I.

¹⁸For I am full of words,

and my spirit within me compels me.

¹⁸For I am full of words; the spirit in my belly presses me.

¹⁹Behold, my belly is like unvented wine;

it is about to burst like a new wineskin.

¹⁹Behold, my belly is like wine not opened; like new wineskins, it is bursting open.

²⁰I must speak and find relief;

I must open my lips and respond.

²⁰I will speak, and there is refreshment for me; I will open my lips and answer.

²¹I will be partial to no one,

nor will I flatter any man.

²¹Do not, please, let me lift up the face of a man; and do not let me give a title to man.

²²For I do not know how to flatter,

or my Maker would remove me in an instant.

²²For I do not know how to give a title; soon my Maker would take me away.