1 ¶ Elihu proceeded in his reasoning and said,

Elihu spoke further and said,

2 D ost thou think this to be right, when thou didst say, I am more righteous than God?

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

3 F or thou didst say, What advantage will it be unto thee? And, What profit shall I have, if I am cleansed from my sin?

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 heavens which are higher than thou.

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

6 I f thou dost sin, what hast thou done against him? Or if thy rebellion is 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 art righteous, what shalt thou give him? Or what shall he receive of thine hand?

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

8 T hy wickedness shall hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness shall profit the 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 ¶ By reason of the great violence they shall call out; they cry out because of the strength of the many.

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

10 B ut no one shall say, Where is God my maker, who gives songs in the night;

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

11 w ho teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?

12 T here they shall cry, but he shall give no answer because of the pride of those that are evil.

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

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

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

14 ¶ For much that thou dost say, he will not look upon it, submit to judgment before him, and trust thou in 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 has not visited in wrath; nor is it known in great extremity;

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

16 t herefore, Job opened his mouth in vain and multiplied words without knowledge.

Job uselessly opens his mouth and multiplies words without knowledge.