1 T hen Elihu said,

¶ Furthermore, Elihu answered and said,

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

Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

3 F or the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food.

For the ear tries words, as the mouth tastes food.

4 L et us choose for ourselves what is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good.

Let us choose our judgment; let us know among ourselves what is good.

5 F or Job has said, ‘I am right and good, but God has taken away my right.

For Job has said, I am righteous; and God has taken away my right.

6 W ould I lie about my right? I have been hurt so that I cannot be healed, but I have done no wrong.’

In my judgment he was a liar, my arrow wound is grievous without my having committed a transgression.

7 W hat man is like Job, who drinks up words against him like water?

What man is like Job, who drinks up the scorn like water?

8 H e goes among those who do wrong, and walks with sinful men.

Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men.

9 F or he has said, ‘A man gets nothing by trying to please God.’

For he said, It shall profit a man nothing that he should conform his will with God.

10 “ So listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do what is sinful, and from the All-powerful to do wrong.

¶ Therefore, hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

11 F or He pays a man by the work he does. He will see that a man is paid for what he does.

For he shall pay man according to his work and cause every man to find according to his ways.

12 F or sure God will not do wrong. The All-powerful will not turn what is right into sin.

Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.

13 W ho gave Him the power over the earth? Who gave Him the whole world to take care of?

Who visited the earth for him? And who set the whole world in order?

14 I f He should take back His spirit and His breath,

If he were to set his heart upon man and gather unto himself his spirit and his breath,

15 a ll flesh would die together, and man would return to dust.

all flesh would perish together, and man would turn again unto dust.

16 “ If you have understanding, hear this. Listen to what I say.

¶ If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.

17 S hould one who hates what is right be the one to rule? Will you say that He Who is right and good and strong is guilty?

Shall even he that hates judgment govern? And wilt thou condemn the Mighty One that is righteous?

18 W ho says to a king, ‘You are of no worth,’ and to rulers, ‘You are sinful’?

Is it fit to say to the king, Thou art of Belial and to the princes, Ye are ungodly?

19 W ho shows no favor to princes, or thinks of the rich as more important than the poor? They are all the work of His hands.

How much less to him who is not a respecter of the persons of princes, nor respects the rich more than the poor; for they all are the work of his hands.

20 I n a short time they die. At midnight the people are shaken and pass away. And the powerful are taken away by no human hand.

In a moment they shall die, and the peoples shall be troubled at midnight and shall pass away; and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.

21 “ For God’s eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps.

For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he sees all his steps.

22 T here is no darkness or shadow where sinners can hide themselves.

There is no darkness nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

23 F or God does not need to set a time for man to go before Him and be judged.

For he will not lay upon man more than that which is just; that he should enter into judgment with God.

24 H e breaks powerful men in pieces without asking any reason, and puts others in their place.

He shall break in pieces mighty men without number and set others in their stead.

25 F or He knows their works. He puts them down in the night, and they are crushed.

Therefore, he shall cause their works to be notorious, when he shall overturn them in the night, so that they are destroyed.

26 G od punishes them for their sin where everyone can see them.

He shall strike them as wicked men in the open sight of others

27 B ecause they turned aside from following Him. They did not care about any of His ways.

because thus they turned back from him and would not consider any of his ways

28 S o they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him. And He heard the cry of those in need.

so that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he hears the cry of the afflicted.

29 W hen He keeps quiet, who can say He is wrong? When He hides His face, who can see Him? But He is over both nation and man.

When he gives rest, who then can make trouble? If he hides his face, who then can behold him? This applies to a nation and the same to a man,

30 S o men without God should not rule and should not be a trap for the people.

that the hypocrite not reign, lest the people be ensnared.

31 “ For has any one said to God, ‘I have suffered punishment, and will not cause any more trouble?

¶ For it is of God to say, I have forgiven, I will no longer destroy.

32 T each me what I cannot see. If I have sinned, I will do it no more’?

Teach me that which I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more.

33 W ill God ask what you want to do, when you will not do what He says? You must decide, and not I. So tell what you know.

Will he, perchance finish his work by thee; whether thou refuse or whether thou choose, or by me? Speak what thou knowest.

34 M en of understanding will say to me, and wise men who hear me say,

The men of understanding will say as I say, and the wise man will hearken unto me.

35 ‘ Job speaks without much learning. His words are without wisdom.

Job has spoken without knowledge, and his words were without prudence.

36 J ob should be tried to the end, because he answers like sinful men.

My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end, that there may be answers against wicked men.

37 T o his sin he adds a strong will against God. Making fun he claps his hands among us, and speaks many words against God.’”

For he added rebellion unto his sin, he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.