1“But now, O Job, listen to my words,
and hear everything I have to say!

2See now, I have opened my mouth;
my tongue in my mouth has spoken.

3My words come from the uprightness of my heart,
and my lips will utter knowledge sincerely.

4The Spirit of God has made me,
and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

5Reply to me, if you can;
set your arguments in order before me
and take your stand!

6Look, I am just like you in relation to God;
I too have been molded from clay.

7Therefore no fear of me should terrify you,
nor should my pressure be heavy on you.

Elihu Rejects Job’s Plea of Innocence

8“Indeed, you have said in my hearing
(I heard the sound of the words!):

9
‘I am pure, without transgression;
I am clean and have no iniquity.

10
Yet God finds occasions with me;
he regards me as his enemy!

11
He puts my feet in shackles;
he watches closely all my paths.’

12Now in this, you are not right – I answer you,
for God is greater than a human being.

13Why do you contend against him,
that he does not answer all a person’s words?

Elihu Disagrees With Job’s View of God

14“For God speaks, the first time in one way,
the second time in another,
though a person does not perceive it.

15In a dream, a night vision,
when deep sleep falls on people
as they sleep in their beds.

16Then he gives a revelation to people,
and terrifies them with warnings,

17to turn a person from his sin,
and to cover a person’s pride.

18He spares a person’s life from corruption,
his very life from crossing over the river.

19Or a person is chastened by pain on his bed,
and with the continual strife of his bones,

20so that his life loathes food,
and his soul rejects appetizing fare.

21His flesh wastes away from sight,
and his bones, which were not seen,
are easily visible.

22He draws near to the place of corruption,
and his life to the messengers of death.

23If there is an angel beside him,
one mediator out of a thousand,
to tell a person what constitutes his uprightness;

24and if God is gracious to him and says,
‘Spare him from going down
to the place of corruption,
I have found a ransom for him,’

25then his flesh is restored like a youth’s;
he returns to the days of his youthful vigor.

26He entreats God, and God delights in him,
he sees God’s face with rejoicing,
and God restores to him his righteousness.

27That person sings to others, saying:
‘I have sinned and falsified what is right,
but I was not punished according to what I deserved.

28He redeemed my life
from going down to the place of corruption,
and my life sees the light!’

Elihu’s Appeal to Job

29“Indeed, God does all these things,
twice, three times, in his dealings with a person,

30to turn back his life from the place of corruption,
that he may be enlightened with the light of life.

31Pay attention, Job – listen to me;
be silent, and I will speak.

32If you have any words, reply to me;
speak, for I want to justify you.

33If not, you listen to me;
be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”