¹ Moreover Elihu answered and said,

^{2 Ref} Hear my words, ye wise men; And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

^{3 Ref} For the ear trieth words, As the palate tasteth food.

^{4 Ref} Let us choose for us that which is right: Let us know among ourselves what is good.

^{5 Ref} For Job hath said, I am righteous, And God hath taken away my right:

^{6 Ref} Notwithstanding my right I am `accounted' a liar; My wound is incurable, `though I am' without transgression.

^{7 Ref} What man is like Job, Who drinketh up scoffing like water,

^{8 Ref} Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, And walketh with wicked men?

^{9 Ref} For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing That he should delight himself with God.

^{10 Ref} Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, And from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

^{11 Ref} For the work of a man will he render unto him, And cause every man to find according to his ways.

^{12 Ref} Yea, of a surety, God will not do wickedly, Neither will the Almighty pervert justice.

^{13 Ref} Who gave him a charge over the earth? Or who hath disposed the whole world?

^{14 Ref} If he set his heart upon himself, `If' he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;

^{15 Ref} All flesh shall perish together, And man shall turn again unto dust.

^{16 Ref} If now `thou hast' understanding, hear this: Hearken to the voice of my words.

^{17 Ref} Shall even one that hateth justice govern? And wilt thou condemn him that is righteous `and' mighty?-

^{18 Ref} `Him' that saith to a king, `Thou art' vile, `Or' to nobles, `Ye are' wicked;

^{19 Ref} That respecteth not the persons of princes, Nor regardeth the rich more than the poor; For they all are the work of his hands.

^{20 Ref} In a moment they die, even at midnight; The people are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without hand.

^{21 Ref} For his eyes are upon the ways of a man, And he seeth all his goings.

^{22 Ref} There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

^{23 Ref} For he needeth not further to consider a man, That he should go before God in judgment.

^{24 Ref} He breaketh in pieces mighty men `in ways' past finding out, And setteth others in their stead.

^{25 Ref} Therefore he taketh knowledge of their works; And he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.

^{26 Ref} He striketh them as wicked men In the open sight of others;

^{27 Ref} Because they turned aside from following him, And would not have regard in any of his ways:

^{28 Ref} So that they caused the cry of the poor to come unto him, And he heard the cry of the afflicted.

^{29 Ref} When he giveth quietness, who then can condemn? And when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? Alike whether `it be done' unto a nation, or unto a man:

^{30 Ref} That the godless man reign not, That there be none to ensnare the people.

^{31 Ref} For hath any said unto God, I have borne `chastisement', I will not offend `any more':

^{32 Ref} That which I see not teach thou me: If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more?

^{33 Ref} Shall his recompense be as thou wilt, that thou refusest it? For thou must choose, and not I: Therefore speak what thou knowest.

^{34 Ref} Men of understanding will say unto me, Yea, every wise man that heareth me:

^{35 Ref} Job speaketh without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom.

^{36 Ref} Would that Job were tried unto the end, Because of his answering like wicked men.

^{37 Ref} For he addeth rebellion unto his sin; He clappeth his hands among us, And multiplieth his words against God.

¹ And Elihu made answer and said,

^{2 Ref} Give ear, you wise, to my words; and you who have knowledge, give attention to me;

^{3 Ref} For words are tested by the ear, as food is tasted by the mouth.

^{4 Ref} Let us make the decision for ourselves as to what is right; let us have the knowledge among ourselves of what is good.

^{5 Ref} For Job has said, I am upright, and it is God who has taken away my right;

^{6 Ref} Though I am right, still I am in pain; my wound may not be made well, though I have done no wrong.

^{7 Ref} What man is like Job, a man who freely makes sport of God,

^{8 Ref} And goes in the company of evil-doers, walking in the way of sinners?

^{9 Ref} For he has said, It is no profit to a man to take delight in God.

^{10 Ref} Now then, you wise, take note; you men of knowledge, give ear to me. Let it be far from God to do evil, and from the Ruler of all to do wrong.

^{11 Ref} For he gives to every man the reward of his work, and sees that he gets the fruit of his ways.

^{12 Ref} Truly, God does not do evil, and the Ruler of all is not a false judge.

^{13 Ref} Who put the earth into his care, or made him responsible for the world?

^{14 Ref} If he made his spirit come back to him, taking his breath into himself again,

^{15 Ref} All flesh would come to an end together, and man would go back to the dust.

^{16 Ref} If you are wise, take note of this; give ear to the voice of my words.

^{17 Ref} How may a hater of right be a ruler? and will you say that the upright Ruler of all is evil?

^{18 Ref} He who says to a king, You are an evil-doer; and to rulers, You are sinners;

^{19 Ref} Who has no respect for rulers, and who gives no more attention to those who have wealth than to the poor, for they are all the work of his hands.

^{20 Ref} Suddenly they come to an end, even in the middle of the night: the blow comes on the men of wealth, and they are gone, and the strong are taken away without the hand of man.

^{21 Ref} For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.

^{22 Ref} There is no dark place, and no thick cloud, in which the workers of evil may take cover.

^{23 Ref} For he does not give man a fixed time to come before him to be judged.

^{24 Ref} He sends the strong to destruction without searching out their cause, and puts others in their place.

^{25 Ref} For he has knowledge of their works, overturning them in the night, so that they are crushed.

^{26 Ref} The evil-doers are broken by his wrath, he puts his hand on them with force before the eyes of all onlookers.

^{27 Ref} Because they did not go after him, and took no note of his ways,

^{28 Ref} So that the cry of the poor might come up to him, and the prayer of those in need come to his ears.

^{29 Ref} ...

^{30 Ref} ...

^{31 Ref} ...

^{32 Ref} ...

^{33 Ref} ...

^{34 Ref} Men of knowledge, and all wise men, hearing me, will say,

^{35 Ref} Job's words do not come from knowledge; they are not the fruit of wisdom.

^{36 Ref} May Job be tested to the end, because his answers have been like those of evil men.

^{37 Ref} For in addition to his sin, he is uncontrolled in heart; before our eyes he makes sport of God, increasing his words against him.