1 E lihu spoke further and said,

Elihu spake moreover, and said,

2 D o you think this is your right, or are you saying, My righteousness is more than God’s,

Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?

3 T hat you ask, What advantage have you? How am I profited more than if I had sinned?

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

4 I will answer you and your companions with you.

I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

5 L ook to the heavens and see; and behold the skies which are higher than you.

Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

6 I f you have sinned, how does that affect God? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what have you done to Him?

If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

7 I f you are righteous, what do you give God? Or what does He receive from your hand?

If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

8 Y our wickedness touches and affects a man such as you are, and your righteousness is for yourself, one of the human race.

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

9 B ecause of the multitudes of oppressions the people cry out; they cry for help because of the violence of the mighty.

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

10 B ut no one says, Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs of rejoicing in the night,

But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;

11 W ho teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?

who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

12 c ry out because of the pride of evil men, but He does not answer.

There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

13 S urely God will refuse to answer vanity (vain and empty—instead of abiding trust); neither will the Almighty regard it—

Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

14 H ow much less when you say that you do not see Him, that your cause is before Him, and you are waiting for Him!

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

15 B ut now because God has not punished in His anger and seems to be unaware of the wrong and oppression,

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

16 J ob uselessly opens his mouth and multiplies words without knowledge.

therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.