1 Elihu continued speaking:
2 Hear my words, you the wise;
listen to me, you who know.
3 The ear tests the word,
as the palate tastes the food.
4 Let us discern what is right,
learn between us what is good.
5 Job has said, “I am innocent,
but God denies me justice
6 and disregards my right.
Though guiltless, my wound is hopeless.”
7 Who is like Job,
who drinks in blasphemies like water?
8 He keeps company with evildoers
and follows the path of the wicked.
9 For has he not said, “It does not profit a man
if he tries to please God?”
10 So hear me, you men of understanding,
far be it from God to do evil,
far from the Almighty to do wrong!
11 Rather, he repays man for what he has done;
he gives him what his conduct deserves.
12 How unthinkable that God would do wrong,
that the Almighty would pervert justice!
13 Who gave him charge over the earth?
Who else laid out the whole world?
14 If he were to take back his spirit,
to withdraw his breath to himself,
15 all flesh would perish together
and man would return to dust.
16 If you have any intelligence,
listen, Job, hear what I say.
17 Can an enemy of justice govern?
Or do you condemn him who is mighty and just,
18 who says to kings, “You are worthless,”
and to nobles, “You are wicked,”
19 who is impartial to princes
and favors not the rich over the poor,
for they are all his handiwork?
20 They die in a moment, even at midnight;
people are shaken and pass away.
Without effort he removes a tyrant.
21 His eyes are upon human’s ways,
and he sees their every step.
22 For him there is no dense darkness
where evildoers can hide.
23 He forewarns no man of his time
to come before God in judgment.
24 He shatters the mighty without in quiry,
and sets in his place another strong man.
25 Because he knows their evil deeds,
he turns at night and crushes them.
26 He punishes them for their wickedness
in a judgment that humans witness.
27 For they had turned away from him,
heeded none of his ways,
28 and oppressed the poor so much
that their cries of suffering reached him.
29 If he remains silent, who stirs him up?
If he hides his face, who can see him?
Yet he watches man and nation alike,
30 and restrains those who mislead the people.
31 If a wicked man says to God,
“I was misguided but will offend no more.
32 Teach me what I do not see;
if I have done wrong, I will do so no more.”
33 In such a case, do you think God will punish?
Speak, you who reject his decisions
and think you know more than I do;
tell us what you know.
34 Men of understanding,
wise men who hear my views will say to me:
35 “Job speaks without knowledge;
his words are without insight.
36 Let Job be tried to the utmost
for answering as wicked men do!
37 To his sin he adds rebellion
by scornfully brushing off our arguments
and multiplying his words against God.”
- Psalms 62,13
- Proverbs 24,12
- Wisdom 12,16
- Genesis 18,25
