1 A nd Elihu answereth and saith: --

2 T his hast thou reckoned for judgment: Thou hast said -- `My righteousness more than God's?'

3 F or thou sayest, `What doth it profit Thee! What do I profit from my sin?'

4 I return thee words, and thy friends with thee,

5 B ehold attentively the heavens -- and see, And behold the clouds, They have been higher than thou.

6 I f thou hast sinned, what dost thou against Him? And thy transgressions have been multiplied, What dost thou to Him?

7 I f thou hast been righteous, What dost thou give to Him? Or what from thy hand doth He receive?

8 F or a man like thyself thy wickedness, And for a son of man thy righteousness.

9 B ecause of the multitude of oppressions They cause to cry out, They cry because of the arm of the mighty.

10 A nd none said, `Where God my maker? Giving songs in the night,

11 T eaching us more than the beasts of the earth, Yea, than the fowl of the heavens He maketh us wiser.'

12 T here they cry, and He doth not answer, Because of the pride of evil doers.

13 S urely vanity God doth not hear, And the Mighty doth not behold it.

14 Y ea, though thou sayest thou dost not behold Him, Judgment before Him, and stay for Him.

15 A nd, now, because there is not, He hath appointed His anger, And He hath not known in great extremity.

16 A nd Job vanity doth open his mouth, Without knowledge words he multiplieth.