1Elihu continued to speak [to Job and his friends],

2"Listen to my words, you wise men. Open your ears to me, you intelligent men.

3The ear tests words like the tongue tastes food.

4Let's decide for ourselves what is right and agree among ourselves as to what is good,

5because Job has said, 'I'm righteous, but God has taken away my rights.

6I'm considered a liar in spite of my rights. I've been wounded by a deadly arrow, though I haven't been disobedient.'

7What person is like Job, who drinks scorn like water,

8who travels with troublemakers and associates with evil people?

9He says, 'It doesn't do any good to try to please God.'

10"You people who have understanding, listen to me. It is unthinkable that God would ever do evil or that the Almighty would ever do wicked things.

11God will repay humanity for what it has done and will give each person what he deserves.

12Certainly, God will never do anything evil, and the Almighty will never pervert justice.

13Who put him in charge of the earth? Who appointed him to be over the whole world?

14If he thought only of himself and withdrew his Spirit and his breath,

15all living beings would die together, and humanity would return to dust.

16"If you understand, listen to this. Open your ears to my words!

17Should anyone who hates justice be allowed to govern? Will you condemn the one who is righteous and mighty?

18Should anyone [even] say to a king, 'You good-for-nothing scoundrel!' or to nobles, 'You wicked people!'

19The one who is righteous and mighty does not grant special favors to princes or prefer important people over poor people because his hands made them all.

20They die suddenly in the middle of the night. People have seizures and pass away. Mighty people are taken away but not by human hands.

21God's eyes are on a person's ways. He sees all his steps.

22There's no darkness or deep shadow where troublemakers can hide.

23He doesn't have to set a time for a person in order to bring him to divine judgment.

24He breaks mighty people into pieces without examining them and puts others in their places.

25He knows what they do, so he overthrows them at night, and they're crushed.

26In return for their evil, he strikes them in public,

27because they turned away from following him and didn't consider any of his ways.

28They forced the poor to cry out to him, and he hears the cry of those who suffer.

29If he keeps quiet, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can see him whether it is a nation or a single person?

30[He does this] so that godless people cannot rule and so that they cannot trap people.

31"But suppose such a person says to God, 'I am guilty, I will stop my immoral behavior.

32Teach me what I cannot see. If I've done wrong, I won't do it again.'

33Should God reward you on your own terms since you have rejected his? You must choose, not I. Tell me what you know. Speak!

34"People of understanding, the wise people who listen to me, will say,

35'Job speaks without knowledge. His words show no insight.'

36"My Father, let Job be thoroughly tested for giving answers like wicked people do.

37He adds disobedience to his sin. He claps his hands to insult us. He multiplies his words against God."