¹ And Elihu made answer and said,

^{2 Ref} Does it seem to you to be right, and righteousness before God, to say,

^{3 Ref} What profit is it to me, and how am I better off than if I had done wrong?

^{4 Ref} I will make answer to you and to your friends:

^{5 Ref} Let your eyes be turned to the heavens, and lifted up to see the skies; they are higher than you.

^{6 Ref} If you have done wrong, is he any the worse for it? and if your sins are great in number, what is it to him?

^{7 Ref} If you are upright, what do you give to him? or what does he take from your hand?

^{8 Ref} Your evil-doing may have an effect on a man like yourself, or your righteousness on a son of man.

^{9 Ref} Because the hand of the cruel is hard on them, men are making sounds of grief; they are crying out for help because of the arm of the strong.

^{10 Ref} But no one has said, Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night;

^{11 Ref} Who gives us more knowledge than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the heaven?

^{12 Ref} There they are crying out because of the pride of the evil-doers, but he gives them no answer.

^{13 Ref} But God will not give ear to what is false, or the Ruler of all take note of it;

^{14 Ref} How much less when you say that you do not see him; that the cause is before him, and you are waiting for him.

^{15 Ref} And now ... ;

^{16 Ref} And Job's mouth is open wide to give out what is of no profit, increasing words without knowledge.