1 Verder het El¡hu aangehef en gesê:

2 Hou u dit vir reg, noem u dit: my geregtigheid voor God,

3 dat u vra wat dit u baat? Wat help dit my meer as wanneer ek sou sondig?

4 k sal u antwoord gee en aan u vriende saam met u.

5 Kyk op na die hemel en sien, en aanskou die wolke wat hoog bo u is.

6 As u sondig, watter skade is dit vir Hom? En is u oortredinge baie, wat kan u Hom daarmee aandoen?

7 As u regverdig is, wat gee u aan Hom? Of wat kan Hy uit u hand aanneem?

8 U goddeloosheid raak net 'n mens soos u, en u geregtigheid 'n mensekind.

9 Vanweë die menigte van verdrukkinge skreeu hulle; hulle roep om hulp oor die geweld van die grotes.

10 Maar niemand sê nie: Waar is God, my Maker, wat lofsange gee in die nag,

11 wat ons meer leer as aan die diere van die aarde en ons wyser maak as die voëls van die hemel?

12 Dan roep hulle, maar Hy antwoord nie, vanweë die trotsheid van die kwaaddoeners.

13 Sekerlik, na nietige klagte luister God nie, en die Almagtige slaan daar geen ag op nie.

14 Hoeveel minder as u sê u sien Hom nie! Die regsaak is voor Hom: wag dan op Hom.

15 Maar nou, omdat sy toorn nie straf nie, en Hy nie grootliks ag gee op oormoed nie,

16 maak Job sy mond wyd oop in nietige gepraat, vermenigvuldig hy woorde sonder kennis.

1 Moreover Elihu answered and said,

2 Thinkest thou this to be thy right,

Or sayest thou, My righteousness is more than God’s,

3 That thou sayest, What advantage will it be unto thee?

And, What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?

4 I will answer thee,

And thy companions with thee.

5 Look unto the heavens, and see;

And behold the skies, which are higher than thou.

6 If thou hast sinned, what effectest thou against him?

And if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

7 If thou be righteous, what givest thou him?

Or what receiveth he of thy hand?

8 Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art;

And thy righteousness may profit a son of man.

9 By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;

They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty.

10 But none saith, Where is God my Maker,

Who giveth songs in the night,

11 Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth,

And maketh us wiser than the birds of the heavens?

12 There they cry, but none giveth answer,

Because of the pride of evil men.

13 Surely God will not hear an empty cry,

Neither will the Almighty regard it.

14 How much less when thou sayest thou beholdest him not,

The cause is before him, and thou waitest for him!

15 But now, because he hath not visited in his anger,

Neither doth he greatly regard arrogance;

16 Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vanity;

He multiplieth words without knowledge.