Elihu Vindicates God’s Justice
1Then Elihu continued and said,
2“Hear my words, you wise men,
And listen to me, you who know.
3For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
4Let us choose for ourselves what is right;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.
5For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has taken away my right;
6Should I lie concerning my right?
My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7What man is like Job,
Who drinks up derision like water,
8Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?
9For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
When he is pleased with God.’
10“Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding.
Far be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to do wrong.
11For He pays a man according to his work,
And makes him find it according to his way.
12Surely, God will not act wickedly,
And the Almighty will not pervert justice.
13Who gave Him authority over the earth?
And who has laid on Him the whole world?
14If He should determine to do so,
If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath,
15All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.
16“But if you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words.
17Shall one who hates justice rule?
And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,
18Who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
To nobles, ‘Wicked ones’;
19Who shows no partiality to princes
Nor regards the rich above the poor,
For they all are the work of His hands?
20In a moment they die, and at midnight
People are shaken and pass away,
And the mighty are taken away without a hand.
21“For His eyes are upon the ways of a man,
And He sees all his steps.
22There is no darkness or deep shadow
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23For He does not need to consider a man further,
That he should go before God in judgment.
24He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in their place.
25Therefore He knows their works,
And He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
26He strikes them like the wicked
In a public place,
27Because they turned aside from following Him,
And had no regard for any of His ways;
28So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him,
And that He might hear the cry of the afflicted—
29When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn?
And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him,
That is, in regard to both nation and man?—
30So that godless men would not rule
Nor be snares of the people.
31“For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastisement;
I will not offend anymore;
32Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done iniquity,
I will not do it again’?
33Shall He recompense on your terms, because you have rejected it?
For you must choose, and not I;
Therefore declare what you know.
34Men of understanding will say to me,
And a wise man who hears me,
35‘Job speaks without knowledge,
And his words are without wisdom.
36Job ought to be tried to the limit,
Because he answers like wicked men.
37For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.’ ”