1 T hen Elihu said,

Elihu spake moreover, and said,

2 “ Do you think this is right? Do you say, ‘I am more right than God’?

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

3 F or you ask, ‘What will You get by it? How will it be better for me 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 friends with you.

I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

5 L ook at the heavens and see. See the clouds 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, what does that do to God? If you have done many wrongs, what does that do 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 right and good, what do you give to Him? What does He receive from you?

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

8 Y our wrong-doing may hurt another man and your being right and good may help him.

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

9 “ People cry out because of their many hard times. They cry for help because of the arm of the powerful.

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 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 animals 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 T here they cry out, but He does not answer because of the pride of sinful men.

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

13 F or sure God will not listen to an empty cry. The All-powerful will not do anything about it.

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

14 H ow much less when you say you do not see Him, that your trial is before Him, and you must wait for Him!

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

15 A nd now, because God has not punished in His anger, and does not watch for sin,

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

16 J ob opens his mouth with empty talk. He speaks many words without much learning.”

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