Job 32-35

Job 32

¹And these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

²Then was kindled the anger of Elihu the son of Barachel, the Buzite, of the family of Ram: against Job was his anger kindled, because he justified himself rather than God;

³and against his three friends was his anger kindled, because they found no answer, and yet condemned Job.

⁴But Elihu had waited till Job had finished speaking, because they were older than he.

⁵And Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, and his anger was kindled.

⁶And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said, I am young, and ye are aged; wherefore I was timid, and feared to shew you what I know.

⁷I said, Let days speak, and multitude of years teach wisdom.

⁸But there is a spirit which is in man; and the breath of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

⁹It is not the great that are wise; neither do the aged understand judgment.

¹⁰Therefore I say, Hearken to me; I also will shew what I know.

¹¹Lo, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasonings, until ye searched out what to say.

¹²Yea, I gave you mine attention, and behold, there was none of you that confuted Job, that answered his words;

¹³That ye may not say, We have found out wisdom; God will make him yield, not man.

¹⁴Now he hath not directed his words against me; and I will not answer him with your speeches. ...

¹⁵They were amazed, they answered no more; words failed them.

¹⁶And I waited, for they spoke not, but stood still, and answered no more; --

¹⁷I will answer, I also in my turn, I also will shew what I know:

¹⁸For I am full of matter, the spirit within me constraineth me.

¹⁹Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; like new flasks, it is ready to burst.

²⁰I will speak, that I may find relief; I will open my lips and answer.

²¹Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person; neither will I give flattery to man.

²²For I know not how to flatter; my Maker would soon take me away.

Job 33

¹Howbeit, Job, I pray thee, hear mine utterances, and hearken to all my words.

²Behold now, I have opened my mouth, my tongue speaketh in my palate,

³My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart, and my lips shall utter knowledge purely.

⁴The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

⁵If thou canst, answer me; array thy words before me: take thy stand.

⁶Behold, before God I am as thou; I also am formed out of the clay.

⁷Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, nor my burden be heavy upon thee.

⁸Surely thou hast spoken in my hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words: --

⁹I am clean without transgression; I am pure, and there is no iniquity in me;

¹⁰Lo, he findeth occasions of hostility against me, he counteth me for his enemy;

¹¹He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.

¹²Behold, I will answer thee in this, thou art not right; for +God is greater than man.

¹³Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.

¹⁴For God speaketh once, and twice, -- and man perceiveth it not --

¹⁵In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;

¹⁶Then he openeth men's ears, and sealeth their instruction,

¹⁷That he may withdraw man from his work, and hide pride from man.

¹⁸He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from passing away by the sword.

¹⁹He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and with constant strife in his bones;

²⁰And his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty food;

²¹His flesh is consumed away from view, and his bones that were not seen stick out;

²²And his soul draweth near to the pit, and his life to the destroyers.

²³If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his duty;

²⁴Then he will be gracious unto him, and say, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.

²⁵His flesh shall be fresher than in childhood; he shall return to the days of his youth.

²⁶He shall pray unto +God, and he will receive him with favour; and he shall see his face with shoutings, and he will render unto man his righteousness.

²⁷He will sing before men, and say, I have sinned, and perverted what was right, and it hath not been requited to me;

²⁸He hath delivered my soul from going into the pit, and my life shall see the light.

²⁹Lo, all these things worketh God twice, thrice, with man,

³⁰To bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of the living.

³¹Mark well, Job, hearken unto me; be silent, and I will speak.

³²If thou hast anything to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify thee.

³³If not, hearken thou unto me; be silent, and I will teach thee wisdom.

Job 34

¹Moreover Elihu answered and said,

²Hear my words, ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

³For the ear trieth words, as the palate tasteth food.

⁴Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good!

⁵For Job hath said, I am righteous, and God hath taken away my judgment:

⁶Should I lie against my right? My wound is incurable without transgression.

⁷What man is like Job? he drinketh up scorning like water,

⁸And goeth in company with workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.

⁹For he hath said, It profiteth not a man if he delight himself in God.

¹⁰Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be wickedness from God, and wrong from the Almighty!

¹¹For a man's work will he render to him, and cause every one to find according to his way.

¹²Yea, surely, God acteth not wickedly, and the Almighty perverteth not judgment.

¹³Who hath entrusted to him the earth? and who hath disposed the whole world?

¹⁴If he only thought of himself, and gathered unto him his spirit and his breath,

¹⁵All flesh would expire together, and man would return to the dust.

¹⁶If now thou hast understanding, hear this: give ear to the voice of my words!

¹⁷Should he that hateth right indeed govern? and wilt thou condemn the All-just?

¹⁸Shall one say to a king, Belial? to nobles, Wicked?

¹⁹How then to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich man more than the poor? for they are all the work of his hands.

²⁰In a moment they die, even at midnight the people are convulsed and pass away; and the strong are taken away without hand.

²¹For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his steps.

²²There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

²³For he doth not long consider a man, to bring him before God in judgment.

²⁴He breaketh in pieces mighty men without inquiry, and setteth others in their stead;

²⁵Since he knoweth their actions; and he overthroweth them in the night, and they are crushed.

²⁶He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others,

²⁷Because they have turned back from him, and would consider none of his ways;

²⁸So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.

²⁹When he giveth quietness, who then will disturb? and when he hideth his face, who shall behold him? and this towards a nation, or towards a man alike;

³⁰That the ungodly man reign not, that the people be not ensnared.

³¹For hath he said unto God, I bear chastisement, I will not offend;

³²What I see not, teach thou me; if I have done wrong, I will do so no more?

³³Shall he recompense according to thy mind? for thou hast refused his judgment; for thou so choosest, and not I; speak then what thou knowest.

³⁴Men of understanding will say to me, and a wise man who heareth me:

³⁵Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were not with intelligence.

³⁶Would that Job may be tried unto the end, because of his answers after the manner of evil men!

³⁷For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.

Job 35

¹Moreover Elihu answered and said,

²Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God's?

³For thou hast asked of what profit it is unto thee: what do I gain more than if I had sinned?

⁴I will reply to thee in words, and to thy companions with thee.

⁵Look unto the heavens and see; and survey the skies: they are higher than thou.

⁶If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? If thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

⁷If thou be righteous, what givest thou to him? or what doth he receive of thy hand?

⁸Thy wickedness may affect a man as thou art, and thy righteousness a son of man.

⁹By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry; they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty:

¹⁰But none saith, Where is +God my Maker, who giveth songs in the night,

¹¹Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowl of the heavens?

¹²There they cry, and he answereth not, because of the pride of evil men.

¹³Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

¹⁴Although thou sayest thou dost not see him, judgment is before him, therefore wait for him.

¹⁵But now, because he hath not visited in his anger, doth not Job know his great arrogancy?

¹⁶For Job hath opened his mouth in vanity, and made words abundant without knowledge.