Elihu Rebukes Job
1 "But now, hear my speech, O Job,
and listen to all my words.
2 Behold, I ch. 3:1open my mouth;
the tongue in my mouth speaks.
3 My words declare the uprightness of my heart,
and what my lips know they speak sincerely.
4 ch. 27:3The Spirit of God has made me,
and ch. 32:8;Gen. 2:7;[Ezek. 37:9;Acts 17:25]the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5 ver. 32Answer me, if you can;
ch. 13:18;23:4;[Ps. 5:3]set your words in order before me; take your stand.
6 Behold, I am toward God as you are;
I too was pinched off from a piece of See ch. 4:19clay.
7 Behold, no ch. 9:34,35;13:21fear of me need terrify you;
my [ch. 23:2]pressure will not be heavy upon you.
8 "Surely you have spoken in my ears,
and I have heard the sound of your words.
9 You say, ‘I am ch. 9:21;10:7;11:4;12:4;13:18;16:17;23:10,11;27:5;29:14;32:1;34:5pure, without ch. 34:6transgression;
I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.
10 Behold, he finds occasions against me,
he See ch. 13:24counts me as his enemy,
11 he ch. 13:27puts my feet in the stocks
and ch. 10:14;14:16;31:4watches all my paths.’
12 "Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you,
for God is greater than man.
13 Why do you ch. 13:3;16:21;31:35;40:2contend against him,
saying, ‘He See ch. 9:12will answer none of man’s33:13 Hebrew his words’?33:13 Or He will not answer for any of his own words
14 For God [ch. 40:5;Ps. 62:11] speaks in one way,
ver. 29and in two, though man [1 Sam. 3:4,6]does not perceive it.
15 In See Num. 12:6a dream, in ch. 4:13a vision of Ps. 17:3the night,
when ch. 4:13deep sleep falls on men,
while they slumber on their beds,
16 then he ch. 36:10,15;Ps. 40:6;Isa. 50:5opens the ears of men
and terrifies33:16 Or seals them with warnings,
17 that he may turn man aside from his ch. 36:9deed
and conceal pride from a man;
18 he keeps back his soul from the pit,
his life from ch. 36:12perishing by the sword.
19 "Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed
and with continual strife in his ch. 30:17bones,
20 so that his Ps. 107:18life loathes bread,
and his appetite Prov. 23:3the choicest food.
21 His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen,
and his bones that were not seen [Ps. 22:17]stick out.
22 His soul draws near ver. 24, 28the pit,
and his life to 2 Sam. 24:16,17;Ps. 78:49those who bring death.
23 If there be for him Gen. 16:7;22:11;48:16;Ps. 34:7;Isa. 63:9;[Mal. 3:1] an angel,
Gen. 42:23;Isa. 43:27a mediator, Eccles. 7:28;[Song 5:10] one of the thousand,
to declare to man what is [Prov. 14:2;Ezek. 18:21,22]right for him,
24 and he is merciful to him, and says,
‘Deliver him from going down into the pit;
I have found ch. 36:18;Ps. 49:7a ransom;
25 let his flesh 2 Kgs. 5:14;[Heb. 9:12]become fresh with youth;
let him return to the days of his youthful vigor’;
26 then man33:26 Hebrew heSee ch. 22:27prays to God, and he accepts him;
he Ps. 17:15sees his face with a shout of joy,
and he [2 Sam. 12:13;Prov. 28:13;Luke 15:21-24;1 John 1:9]restores to man his righteousness.
27 He sings before men and says:
‘I Ps. 106:6;[Rom. 6:21]sinned and perverted what was right,
and it was not repaid to me.
28 He has redeemed my Isa. 38:17soul from going down ver. 22, 24into the pit,
and my life shall [ch. 3:9]look upon the light.’
29 "Behold, God does all these things,
twice, ver. 14three times, with a man,
30 to bring back his soul from the pit,
that he may be lighted with Ps. 56:13the light of life.
31 Pay attention, O Job, listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.
32 If you have any words, ver. 5answer me;
ch. 34:33speak, for I desire to justify you.
33 If not, Ps. 34:11listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom."