1 Moreouer Elihu answered, and saide, 2 Heare my wordes, ye wise men, and hearken vnto me, ye that haue knowledge. 3 For the eare tryeth the words, as the mouth tasteth meate. 4 Let vs seeke iudgement among vs, and let vs knowe among our selues what is good. 5 For Iob hath saide, I am righteous, and God hath taken away my iudgement. 6 Should I lye in my right? my wound of the arrowe is grieuous without my sinne. 7 What man is like Iob, that drinketh scornfulnesse like water? 8 Which goeth in the companie of them that worke iniquitie, and walketh with wicked men? 9 For he hath saide, It profiteth a man nothing that he should walke with God. 10 Therefore hearken vnto me, ye men of wisedome, God forbid that wickednesse should be in God, and iniquitie in the Almightie. 11 For he will render vnto man according to his worke, and cause euery one to finde according to his way. 12 And certainely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almightie peruert iudgement. 13 Whome hath he appointed ouer the earth beside him selfe? or who hath placed the whole worlde? 14 If he set his heart vpon man, and gather vnto him selfe his spirit and his breath, 15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall returne vnto dust. 16 And if thou hast vnderstanding, heare this and hearken to the voyce of my wordes. 17 Shal he that hateth iudgement, gouerne? and wilt thou iudge him wicked that is most iust? 18 Wilt thou say vnto a King, Thou art wicked? or to princes, Ye are vngodly? 19 How much lesse to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, and regardeth not the rich, more then the poore? for they be all the worke of his handes. 20 They shall die suddenly, and the people shalbe troubled at midnight, and they shall passe foorth and take away the mightie without hand. 21 For his eyes are vpon the wayes of man, and he seeth all his goings. 22 There is no darkenesse nor shadowe of death, that the workers of iniquitie might be hid therein. 23 For he will not lay on man so much, that he should enter into iudgement with God. 24 He shall breake the mightie without seeking, and shall set vp other in their stead. 25 Therefore shall he declare their works: he shall turne the night, and they shalbe destroyed. 26 He striketh them as wicked men in the places of the seers, 27 Because they haue turned backe from him, and would not consider all his wayes: 28 So that they haue caused the voyce of the poore to come vnto him, and he hath heard the cry of the afflicted. 29 And when he giueth quietnesse, who can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who can beholde him, whether it be vpon nations, or vpon a man onely? 30 Because the hypocrite doeth reigne, and because the people are snared. 31 Surely it appertaineth vnto God to say, I haue pardoned, I will not destroy. 32 But if I see not, teach thou me: if I haue done wickedly, I will doe no more. 33 Wil he performe the thing through thee? for thou hast reproued it, because that thou hast chosen, and not I. now speake what thou knowest. 34 Let men of vnderstanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken vnto me. 35 Iob hath not spoken of knowledge, neyther were his wordes according to wisedome. 36 I desire that Iob may be tryed, vnto the ende touching the answeres for wicked men. 37 For he addeth rebellion vnto his sinne: he clappeth his handes among vs, and multiplieth his wordes against God.
1-2 You men are so wise, so clever;
listen now to what I am saying.
3 You know good food when you taste it,
but not wise words when you hear them.
4 It is up to us to decide the case.
5 Job claims that he is innocent,
that God refuses to give him justice.
6 He asks, “How could I lie and say I am wrong?
I am fatally wounded, but I am sinless.”
7 Have you ever seen anyone like this man Job?
He never shows respect for God.
8 He likes the company of evil people
and goes around with sinners.
9 He says that it never does any good
to try to follow God's will.
10 Listen to me, you men who understand!
Will Almighty God do what is wrong?
11 He rewards people for what they do
and treats them as they deserve.
12 Almighty God does not do evil;
he is never unjust to anyone.
13 Did God get his power from someone else?
Did someone put him in charge of the world?
14 If God took back the breath of life,
15 then everyone living would die
and turn into dust again.
16 Now listen to me, if you are wise.
17 Are you condemning the righteous God?
Do you think that he hates justice?
18 God condemns kings and rulers
when they are worthless or wicked.
19 He does not take the side of rulers
nor favor the rich over the poor,
for he created everyone.
20 We may suddenly die at night.
God strikes us down and we perish;
he kills the mighty with no effort at all.
21 He watches every step we take.
22 There is no darkness dark enough
to hide a sinner from God.
23 God does not need to set a time
for us to go and be judged by him.
24 He does not need an investigation
to remove leaders and replace them with others.
25 Because he knows what they do;
he overthrows them and crushes them by night.
26 He punishes sinners where all can see it,
27 because they have stopped following him
and ignored all his commands.
28 They forced the poor to cry out to God,
and he heard their calls for help.
29 If God decided to do nothing at all,
no one could criticize him.
If he hid his face, we would be helpless.
30 There would be nothing that nations could do
to keep godless oppressors from ruling them.
31 Job, have you confessed your sins to God
and promised not to sin again?
32 Have you asked God to show you your faults,
and have you agreed to stop doing evil?
33 Since you object to what God does,
can you expect him to do what you want?
The decision is yours, not mine;
tell us now what you think.
34 Any sensible person will surely agree;
and the wise who hear me will say
35 that Job is speaking from ignorance
and that nothing he says makes sense.
36 Think through everything that Job says;
you will see that he talks like an evil man.
37 To his sins he adds rebellion;
in front of us all he mocks God.