V. The Speeches of Elihu (32:1-37:24)
Elihu’s First Speech 132:1 So these three men refused to answer 2 Job further, because he was righteous in his 3 own eyes. 32:2 Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry. 4 He was angry 5 with Job for justifying 6 himself rather than God. 7 32:3 With Job’s 8 three friends he was also angry, because they could not find 9 an answer, and so declared Job guilty. 10 32:4 Now Elihu had waited before speaking 11 to Job, because the others 12 were older than he was. 32:5 But when Elihu saw 13 that the three men had no further reply, 14 he became very angry.
32:6 So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite spoke up: 15
“I am young, 16 but you are elderly;
that is why I was fearful, 17
and afraid to explain 18 to you what I know.
32:7 I said to myself, ‘Age 19 should speak, 20
and length of years 21 should make wisdom known.’
32:8 But it is a spirit in people,
the breath 22 of the Almighty,
that makes them understand.
32:9 It is not the aged 23 who are wise,
nor old men who understand what is right.
32:10 Therefore I say, ‘Listen 24 to me.
I, even I, will explain what I know.’
32:11 Look, I waited for you to speak; 25
I listened closely to your wise thoughts, 26 while you were searching for words.
32:12 Now I was paying you close attention, 27
yet 28 there was no one proving Job wrong, 29
not one of you was answering his statements!
32:13 So do not say, 30 ‘We have found wisdom!
God will refute 31 him, not man!’
32:14 Job 32 has not directed 33 his words to me,
and so I will not reply to him with your arguments. 34
32:15 “They are dismayed 36 and cannot answer any more;
they have nothing left to say. 37
32:16 And I have waited. 38 But because they do not speak,
because they stand there and answer no more,
32:17 I too will answer my part,
I too will explain what I know.
32:18 For I am full of words,
and the spirit within me 39 constrains me. 40
32:19 Inside I am like wine which has no outlet, 41
like new wineskins 42 ready to burst!
32:20 I will speak, 43 so that I may find relief;
I will open my lips, so that I may answer.
32:21 I will not show partiality to anyone, 44
nor will I confer a title 45 on any man.
32:22 for I do not know how to give honorary titles, 46
if I did, 47 my Creator would quickly do away with me. 48
33:1 “But now, O Job, listen to my words,
and hear 49 everything I have to say! 50
33:2 See now, I have opened 51 my mouth;
my tongue in my mouth has spoken. 52
33:3 My words come from the uprightness of my heart, 53
and my lips will utter knowledge sincerely. 54
33:4 The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. 55
33:5 Reply to me, if you can;
set your arguments 56 in order before me
and take your stand!
33:6 Look, I am just like you in relation to God;
I too have been molded 57 from clay.
33:7 Therefore no fear of me should terrify you,
nor should my pressure 58 be heavy on you. 59
33:8 “Indeed, you have said in my hearing 60
(I heard the sound of the words!):
33:9 61 ‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am clean 62 and have no iniquity.
33:10 63 Yet God 64 finds occasions 65 with me;
he regards me as his enemy!
33:11 66 He puts my feet in shackles;
he watches closely all my paths.’
33:12 Now in this, you are not right – I answer you, 67
for God is greater than a human being. 68
33:13 Why do you contend against him,
that he does not answer all a person’s 69 words?
33:14 “For God speaks, the first time in one way,
the second time in another,
though a person does not perceive 70 it.
33:15 In a dream, a night vision,
when deep sleep falls on people
as they sleep in their beds.
33:16 Then he gives a revelation 71 to people,
and terrifies them with warnings, 72
33:17 to turn a person from his sin, 73
and to cover a person’s pride. 74
33:18 He spares a person’s life from corruption, 75
his very life from crossing over 76 the river.
33:19 Or a person is chastened 77 by pain on his bed,
and with the continual strife of his bones, 78
33:20 so that his life loathes food,
and his soul rejects appetizing fare. 79
33:21 His flesh wastes away from sight,
and his bones, which were not seen,
are easily visible. 80
33:22 He 81 draws near to the place of corruption,
and his life to the messengers of death. 82
33:23 If there is an angel beside him,
one mediator 83 out of a thousand,
to tell a person what constitutes his uprightness; 84
33:24 and if 85 God 86 is gracious to him and says,
‘Spare 87 him from going down
to the place of corruption,
I have found a ransom for him,’ 88
33:25 then his flesh is restored 89 like a youth’s;
he returns to the days of his youthful vigor. 90
33:26 He entreats God, and God 91 delights in him,
he sees God’s face 92 with rejoicing,
and God 93 restores to him his righteousness. 94
33:27 That person sings 95 to others, 96 saying:
‘I have sinned and falsified what is right,
but I was not punished according to what I deserved. 97
33:28 He redeemed my life 98
from going down to the place of corruption,
and my life sees the light!’
33:29 “Indeed, God does all these things,
twice, three times, in his dealings 100 with a person,
33:30 to turn back his life from the place of corruption,
that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
33:31 Pay attention, Job – listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
33:32 If you have any words, 101 reply to me;
speak, for I want to justify you. 102
33:33 If not, you listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”
34:1 Elihu answered:
34:2 “Listen to my words, you wise men;
hear 104 me, you learned men. 105
34:3 For the ear assesses 106 words
as the mouth 107 tastes food.
34:4 Let us evaluate 108 for ourselves what is right; 109
let us come to know among ourselves what is good.
34:5 For Job says, ‘I am innocent, 110
but God turns away my right.
34:6 Concerning my right, should I lie? 111
My wound 112 is incurable,
although I am without transgression.’ 113
34:7 What man is like Job,
who 114 drinks derision 115 like water!
34:8 He goes about 116 in company 117 with evildoers,
he goes along 118 with wicked men. 119
34:9 For he says, ‘It does not profit a man
when he makes his delight with God.’ 120
34:10 “Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. 121
Far be it from 122 God to do wickedness,
from the Almighty to do evil.
34:11 For he repays a person for his work, 123
and according to the conduct of a person,
he causes the consequences to find him. 124
34:12 Indeed, in truth, God does not act wickedly,
and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
34:13 Who entrusted 125 to him the earth?
And who put him over 126 the whole world?
34:14 If God 127 were to set his heart on it, 128
and gather in his spirit and his breath,
34:15 all flesh would perish together
and human beings would return to dust.
34:16 “If you have 129 understanding, listen to this,
hear what I have to say. 130
34:17 Do you really think 131
that one who hates justice can govern? 132
And will you declare guilty
the supremely righteous 133 One,
34:18 who says to a king, 134 ‘Worthless man’ 135
and to nobles, ‘Wicked men,’
34:19 who shows no partiality to princes,
and does not take note of 136 the rich more than the poor,
because all of them are the work of his hands?
34:20 In a moment they die, in the middle of the night, 137
people 138 are shaken 139 and they pass away.
The mighty are removed effortlessly. 140
34:21 For his eyes are on the ways of an individual,
he observes all a person’s 141 steps.
34:22 There is no darkness, and no deep darkness,
where evildoers can hide themselves. 142
34:23 For he does not still consider a person, 143
that he should come before God in judgment.
34:24 He shatters the great without inquiry, 144
and sets up others in their place.
34:25 Therefore, he knows their deeds,
he overthrows them 145 in the night 146
and they are crushed.
34:26 He strikes them for their wickedness, 147
in a place where people can see, 148
34:27 because they have turned away from following him,
and have not understood 149 any of his ways,
34:28 so that they caused 150 the cry of the poor
to come before him,
so that he hears 151 the cry of the needy.
34:29 But if God 152 is quiet, who can condemn 153 him?
If he hides his face, then who can see him?
Yet 154 he is over the individual and the nation alike, 155
34:30 so that the godless man should not rule,
and not lay snares for the people. 156
34:31 “Has anyone said to God,
‘I have endured chastisement, 157
but I will not act wrongly any more.
34:32 Teach me what I cannot see. 158
If I have done evil, I will do so no more.’
34:33 Is it your opinion 159 that God 160 should recompense it,
because you reject this? 161
But you must choose, and not I,
so tell us what you know.
34:34 Men of understanding say to me –
any wise man listening to me says –
34:35 that 162 Job speaks without knowledge
and his words are without understanding. 163
34:36 But 164 Job will be tested to the end,
because his answers are like those of wicked men.
34:37 For he adds transgression 165 to his sin;
in our midst he claps his hands, 166
and multiplies his words against God.”