1Elihu continued speaking:
2Hear my words, you the wise;
listen to me, you who know.
3The ear tests the word,
as the palate tastes the food.
4Let us discern what is right,
learn between us what is good.
5Job has said, “I am innocent,
but God denies me justice
6and disregards my right.
Though guiltless, my wound is hopeless.”
7Who is like Job,
who drinks in blasphemies like water?
8He keeps company with evildoers
and follows the path of the wicked.
9For has he not said, “It does not profit a man
if he tries to please God?”
10So hear me, you men of understanding,
far be it from God to do evil,
far from the Almighty to do wrong!
11Rather, he repays man for what he has done;
he gives him what his conduct deserves.
12How unthinkable that God would do wrong,
that the Almighty would pervert justice!
13Who gave him charge over the earth?
Who else laid out the whole world?
14If he were to take back his spirit,
to withdraw his breath to himself,
15all flesh would perish together
and man would return to dust.
16If you have any intelligence,
listen, Job, hear what I say.
17Can an enemy of justice govern?
Or do you condemn him who is mighty and just,
18who says to kings, “You are worthless,”
and to nobles, “You are wicked,”
19who is impartial to princes
and favors not the rich over the poor,
for they are all his handiwork?
20They die in a moment, even at midnight;
people are shaken and pass away.
Without effort he removes a tyrant.
21His eyes are upon human’s ways,
and he sees their every step.
22For him there is no dense darkness
where evildoers can hide.
23He forewarns no man of his time
to come before God in judgment.
24He shatters the mighty without inquiry,
and sets in his place another strong man.
25Because he knows their evil deeds,
he turns at night and crushes them.
26He punishes them for their wickedness
in a judgment that humans witness.
27For they had turned away from him,
heeded none of his ways,
28and oppressed the poor so much
that their cries of suffering reached him.
29If he remains silent, who stirs him up?
If he hides his face, who can see him?
Yet he watches man and nation alike,
30and restrains those who mislead the people.
31If a wicked man says to God,
“I was misguided but will offend no more.
32Teach me what I do not see;
if I have done wrong, I will do so no more.”
33In such a case, do you think God will punish?
Speak, you who reject his decisions
and think you know more than I do;
tell us what you know.
34Men of understanding,
wise men who hear my views will say to me:
35“Job speaks without knowledge;
his words are without insight.
36Let Job be tried to the utmost
for answering as wicked men do!
37To his sin he adds rebellion
by scornfully brushing off our arguments
and multiplying his words against God.”
