1 M oreover Elihu answered and said,

Elihu spoke further and said,

2 T hinkest thou this to be thy right, Or sayest thou, My righteousness is more than God's,

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

3 T hat thou sayest, What advantage will it be unto thee? And, What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?

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

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

I will answer you and your companions with you.

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

Look to the heavens and see; and behold the skies which are higher than you.

6 I f thou hast sinned, what effectest thou against him? And if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

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

7 I f thou be righteous, what givest thou him? Or what receiveth he of thy hand?

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

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

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

9 B y reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty.

Because of the multitudes of oppressions the people cry out; they cry for help because of the violence of the mighty.

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 of rejoicing in the night,

11 W ho teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, And maketh us wiser than the birds of the heavens?

Who teaches us more than the beasts 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.

cry out because of the pride of evil men, but He does not answer.

13 S urely God will not hear an empty cry, Neither will the Almighty regard it.

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

14 H ow much less when thou sayest thou beholdest him not, The cause is before him, and thou waitest for him!

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

15 B ut now, because he hath not visited in his anger, Neither doth he greatly regard arrogance;

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

16 T herefore doth Job open his mouth in vanity; He multiplieth words without knowledge.

Job uselessly opens his mouth and multiplies words without knowledge.