1 T hen Elihu continued and said,

2 “ Hear my words, you wise men, And listen to me, you who know.

3 “ For the ear tests words As the palate tastes food.

4 “ Let us choose for ourselves what is right; Let us know among ourselves what is good.

5 “ For Job has said, ‘ I am righteous, But God has taken away my right;

6 S hould I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’

7 “ What man is like Job, Who drinks up derision like water,

8 W ho goes in company with the workers of iniquity, And walks with wicked men?

9 “ For he has said, ‘ It profits a man nothing When he is pleased with God.’

10 “ Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wickedness, And from the Almighty to do wrong.

11 “ For He pays a man according to his work, And makes him find it according to his way.

12 “ Surely, God will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice.

13 “ Who gave Him authority over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world?

14 “ If He should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath,

15 A ll flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.

16 “ But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.

17 “ Shall one who hates justice rule? And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,

18 W ho says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’ To nobles, ‘Wicked ones’;

19 W ho shows no partiality to princes Nor regards the rich above the poor, For they all are the work of His hands?

20 “ In a moment they die, and at midnight People are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without a hand.

21 “ For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.

22 “ There is no darkness or deep shadow Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

23 “ For He does not need to consider a man further, That he should go before God in judgment.

24 “ He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry, And sets others in their place.

25 “ Therefore He knows their works, And He overthrows them in the night, And they are crushed.

26 “ He strikes them like the wicked In a public place,

27 B ecause they turned aside from following Him, And had no regard for any of His ways;

28 S o that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him, And that He might hear the cry of the afflicted—

29 W hen He keeps quiet, who then can condemn? And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him, That is, in regard to both nation and man?—

30 S o that godless men would not rule Nor be snares of the people.

31 “ For has anyone said to God, ‘I have borne chastisement; I will not offend anymore;

32 T each me what I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will not do it again’?

33 “ Shall He recompense on your terms, because you have rejected it ? For you must choose, and not I; Therefore declare what you know.

34 “ Men of understanding will say to me, And a wise man who hears me,

35 ‘ Job speaks without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom.

36 ‘ Job ought to be tried to the limit, Because he answers like wicked men.

37 ‘ For he adds rebellion to his sin; He claps his hands among us, And multiplies his words against God.’”