1 E lihu spake moreover, and said,

Then Elihu said,

2 T hinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?

“Do you think this is right? Do you say, ‘I am more right than God’?

3 F or thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

For you ask, ‘What will You get by it? How will it be better for me than if I had sinned?’

4 I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

I will answer you, and your friends with you.

5 L ook unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

Look at the heavens and see. See the clouds which are higher than you.

6 I f thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

If you have sinned, what does that do to God? If you have done many wrongs, what does that do to Him?

7 I f thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

If you are right and good, what do you give to Him? What does He receive from you?

8 T hy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

Your wrong-doing may hurt another man and your being right and good may help him.

9 B y reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.

“People cry out because of their many hard times. They cry for help because of the arm of the powerful.

10 B ut none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;

But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night,

11 w ho teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

Who teaches us more than the animals of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’

12 T here they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

There they cry out, but He does not answer because of the pride of sinful men.

13 S urely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

For sure God will not listen to an empty cry. The All-powerful will not do anything about it.

14 A lthough thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.

How much less when you say you do not see Him, that your trial is before Him, and you must wait for Him!

15 B ut now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity:

And now, because God has not punished in His anger, and does not watch for sin,

16 t herefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

Job opens his mouth with empty talk. He speaks many words without much learning.”