1Then Elihu continued:
1And Elihu answered and said,
2“Hear my words, O wise men;
give ear to me, O men of learning.
2“Hear, O wise men, my words, and give ear to me, knowing ones.
3For the ear tests words
as the mouth tastes food.
3For the ear shall test words, and the palate tastes to eat.
4Let us choose for ourselves what is right;
let us learn together what is good.
4Let us choose for ourselves what is just; let us know among ourselves what is good.
5For Job has declared, ‘I am righteous,
yet God has deprived me of justice.
5For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, and God has turned aside my justice.
6Would I lie about my case?
My wound is incurable,
though I am without transgression.’
6And over my justice should I lie? Mortal is my arrow, without transgression.’
7What man is like Job,
who drinks up derision like water?
7Who is a man like Job, drinking up derision like the water,
8He keeps company with evildoers
and walks with wicked men.
8and he travels in company with workers of iniquity, and in walking with men of wickedness?
9For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
that he should delight in God.’
9For he has said, ‘Nothing does it profit a man that he should delight in God.’
10Therefore listen to me,
O men of understanding.
Far be it from God to do wrong,
and from the Almighty to act unjustly.
10Therefore, O men of heart, listen to me. Far be it to God from wickedness, and Shaddai from injustice.
11For according to a man’s deeds He repays him;
according to a man’s ways He brings consequences.
11For the work of man, he repays to him; and according to the way of a man, He causes him to find it.
12Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly,
and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
12Yes, surely God does not act wickedly, and Shaddai does not pervert justice.
13Who gave Him charge over the earth?
Who appointed Him over the whole world?
13Who gave charge to Him over the earth? And who has set Him over all of the world?
14If He were to set His heart to it
and withdraw His Spirit and breath,
14If He should set His heart to it, gathering His Spirit and His breath to Himself,
15all flesh would perish together
and mankind would return to the dust.
15then all flesh would perish together, and man would return to the dust.
16If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to my words.
16And if there is understanding, hear this; give ear to the sound of my words.
17Could one who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn the just and mighty One,
17And shall one hating justice govern? Or will you declare wicked the just and mighty One?
18who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’
and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’
18Who says to a king, ‘Worthless,’ or to nobles, ‘Wicked’?
19who is not partial to princes
and does not favor rich over poor?
For they are all the work of His hands.
19Who does not lift the faces of princes, and does not acknowledge the rich before the face of the poor, for they are all the work of His hands.
20They die in an instant,
in the middle of the night.
The people convulse and pass away;
the mighty are removed without human hand.
20In a moment they die, and in the middle of the night the people are shaken and pass away; and the mighty are taken away, not by a hand.
21For His eyes are on the ways of a man,
and He sees his every step.
21For His eyes are upon the ways of man, and all of his steps He sees.
22There is no darkness or deep shadow
where the workers of iniquity can hide.
22There is no darkness and no shadow of death, for the workers of iniquity to be hidden there.
23For God need not examine a man further
or have him approach for judgment.
23For He does not set upon a man further, for his going before God in the judgment.
24He shatters the mighty without inquiry
and sets up others in their place.
24He breaks the mighty without investigation, and makes others stand in their place.
25Therefore, He recognizes their deeds;
He overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.
25Therefore, He recognizes their works, and He overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.
26He strikes them for their wickedness
in full view,
26In exchange for their wickednesses, He strikes them in a place of seeing,
27because they turned aside from Him
and had no regard for any of His ways.
27which was upon thus: They turned aside from Him, and they had no regard for any of His ways,
28They caused the cry of the poor to come before Him,
and He heard the outcry of the afflicted.
28They caused the cry of the poor to cause to come before Him—and He heard the cry of the afflicted.
29But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him?
When He hides His face, who can see Him?
Yet He watches over both man and nation,
29And he is silent, and who can call Him wicked? And He hides His face, and who can see Him? And He is over a nation and over man alike,
30that godless men should not rule
or lay snares for the people.
30from the reigning of godless a man, from the snares of the people.
31Suppose someone says to God,
‘I have endured my punishment; I will offend no more.
31If one says to God, ‘I have lifted it, and no more will I offend;
32Teach me what I cannot see;
if I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’
32besides what I see, You teach me; if I have done iniquity, I will not continue it’
33Should God repay you on your own terms
when you have disavowed Him?
You must choose, not I;
so tell me what you know.
33will he repay it from with you, because you have rejected it? Then you must choose, and not I, and may you speak what you know.
34Men of understanding will declare to me,
and the wise men who hear me will say:
34Men of understanding will say to me, and the wise man who is listening to me:
35‘Job speaks without knowledge;
his words lack insight.’
35‘Job does not speak with knowledge, and His words are not with wisdom.’
36If only Job were tried to the utmost
for answering like a wicked man.
36If only Job were tested to the end, upon his answers among men of iniquity!
37For he adds rebellion to his sin;
he claps his hands among us
and multiplies his words against God.”
37For he adds rebellion upon his sin; among us he claps, and he multiplies his words against God.”