Job 32,33,34,35

Job 32-35 New King James Version (NKJV)

Elihu Contradicts Job’s Friends

32 So these three men ceased answering Job, because he wasrighteous in his own eyes. ² Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God. ³ Also against his three friends his wrath was aroused, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

⁴ Now because they were years older than he, Elihu had waited to speak to Job. ⁵ When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused.

⁶ So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said:

“I am young in years, and you are very old;
Therefore I was afraid,
And dared not declare my opinion to you.
⁷ I said, ‘Age should speak,
And multitude of years should teach wisdom.’
⁸ But there is a spirit in man,
And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.
⁹ Great men are not always wise,
Nor do the aged always understand justice.

¹⁰ “Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me,
I also will declare my opinion.’
¹¹ Indeed I waited for your words,
I listened to your reasonings, while you searched out what to say.
¹² I paid close attention to you;
And surely not one of you convinced Job,
Or answered his words—
¹³ Lest you say,
‘We have found wisdom’;
God will vanquish him, not man.
¹⁴ Now he has not directed his words against me;
So I will not answer him with your words.

¹⁵ “They are dismayed and answer no more;
Words escape them.
¹⁶ And I have waited, because they did not speak,
Because they stood still and answered no more.
¹⁷ I also will answer my part,
I too will declare my opinion.
¹⁸ For I am full of words;
The spirit within me compels me.
¹⁹ Indeed my belly is like wine that has no vent;
It is ready to burst like new wineskins.
²⁰ I will speak, that I may find relief;
I must open my lips and answer.
²¹ Let me not, I pray, show partiality to anyone;
Nor let me flatter any man.
²² For I do not know how to flatter,
Else my Maker would soon take me away.

Elihu Contradicts Job

33 “But please, Job, hear my speech,
And listen to all my words.
² Now, I open my mouth;
My tongue speaks in my mouth.
³ My words come from my upright heart;
My lips utter pure knowledge.
⁴ The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
⁵ If you can answer me,
Set your words in order before me;
Take your stand.
⁶ Truly I am as your spokesman before God;
I also have been formed out of clay.
⁷ Surely no fear of me will terrify you,
Nor will my hand be heavy on you.

⁸ “Surely you have spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the sound of your words, saying,
⁹ ‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am innocent, and there is no iniquity in me.
¹⁰ Yet He finds occasions against me,
He counts me as His enemy;
¹¹ He puts my feet in the stocks,
He watches all my paths.’

¹² “Look, in this you are not righteous.
I will answer you,
For God is greater than man.
¹³ Why do you contend with Him?
For He does not give an accounting of any of His words.
¹⁴ For God may speak in one way, or in another,
Yet man does not perceive it.
¹⁵ In a dream, in a vision of the night,
When deep sleep falls upon men,
While slumbering on their beds,
¹⁶ Then He opens the ears of men,
And seals their instruction.
¹⁷ In order to turn man from his deed,
And conceal pride from man,
¹⁸ He keeps back his soul from the Pit,
And his life from perishing by the sword.

¹⁹ “Man is also chastened with pain on his bed,
And with strong pain in many of his bones,
²⁰ So that his life abhors bread,
And his soul succulent food.
²¹ His flesh wastes away from sight,
And his bones stick out which once were not seen.
²² Yes, his soul draws near the Pit,
And his life to the executioners.

²³ “If there is a messenger for him,
A mediator, one among a thousand,
To show man His uprightness,
²⁴ Then He is gracious to him, and says,
‘Deliver him from going down to the Pit;
I have found a ransom’;
²⁵ His flesh shall be young like a child’s,
He shall return to the days of his youth.
²⁶ He shall pray to God, and He will delight in him,
He shall see His face with joy,
For He restores to man His righteousness.
²⁷ Then he looks at men and says,
‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right,
And it did not profit me.’
²⁸ He will redeem his soul from going down to the Pit,
And his life shall see the light.

²⁹ “Behold, God works all these things,
Twice, in fact, three times with a man,
³⁰ To bring back his soul from the Pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life.

³¹ “Give ear, Job, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and I will speak.
³² If you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.
³³ If not, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Elihu Proclaims God’s Justice

34 Elihu further answered and said:

² “Hear my words, you wise men;
Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.
³ For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
⁴ Let us choose justice for ourselves;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵ “For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has taken away my justice;
⁶ Should I lie concerning my right?
My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
⁷ What man is like Job,
Who drinks scorn like water,
⁸ Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?
⁹ For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
That he should delight in God.’

¹⁰ “Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding:
Far be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to commit iniquity.
¹¹ For He repays man according to his work,
And makes man to find a reward according to his way.
¹² Surely God will never do wickedly,
Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.
¹³ Who gave Him charge over the earth?
Or who appointed Him over the whole world?
¹⁴ If He should set His heart on it,
If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
¹⁵ All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.

¹⁶ “If you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words:
¹⁷ Should one who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn Him who is most just?
¹⁸ Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,’
And to nobles, ‘You are wicked’?
¹⁹ Yet He is not partial to princes,
Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor;
For they are all the work of His hands.
²⁰ In a moment they die, in the middle of the night;
The people are shaken and pass away;
The mighty are taken away without a hand.

²¹ “For His eyes are on the ways of man,
And He sees all his steps.
²² There is no darkness nor shadow of death
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
²³ For He need not further consider a man,
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;
He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
²⁶ He strikes them as wicked men
In the open sight of others,
²⁷ Because they turned back from Him,
And would not consider any of His ways,
²⁸ So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him;
For He hears the cry of the afflicted.
²⁹ When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?
And when He hides His face, who then can see Him,
Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?—
³⁰ That the hypocrite should not reign,
Lest the people be ensnared.

³¹ “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastening;
I will offend no more;
³² Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’?
³³ Should He repay it according to your terms,
Just because you disavow it?
You must choose, and not I;
Therefore speak what you know.

³⁴ “Men of understanding say to me,
Wise men who listen to me:
³⁵ ‘Job speaks without knowledge,
His words are without wisdom.’
³⁶ Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost,
Because his answers are like those of wicked men!
³⁷ For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.”

Elihu Condemns Self-Righteousness

35 Moreover Elihu answered and said:

² “Do you think this is right?
Do you say,
‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
³ For you say,
‘What advantage will it be to You?
What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’

⁴ “I will answer you,
And your companions with you.
⁵ Look to the heavens and see;
And behold the clouds—
They are higher than you.
⁶ If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him?
Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?
⁷ If you are righteous, what do you give Him?
Or what does He receive from your hand?
⁸ Your wickedness affects a man such as you,
And your righteousness a son of man.

⁹ “Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty.
¹⁰ But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
Who gives songs in the night,
¹¹ Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth,
And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’
¹² There they cry out, but He does not answer,
Because of the pride of evil men.
¹³ Surely God will not listen to empty talk,
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
¹⁴ Although you say you do not see Him,
Yet justice is before Him, and you must wait for Him.
¹⁵ And now, because He has not punished in His anger,
Nor taken much notice of folly,
¹⁶ Therefore Job opens his mouth in vain;He multiplies words without knowledge.”