Elihu Answers That God Will Be Just

1Then Elihu answered and said,

2“Hear my speech, you wise men,

And give ear to me, you who know.

3For the ear tests words

As the palate tastes food.

4Let us choose for ourselves what is just;

Let us know among ourselves what is good.

5For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,

But God has removed my justice;

6[†]Should I lie concerning my justice?

My [†]wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’

7What man is like Job,

Who drinks up mocking like water,

8But he travels in company with the workers of iniquity,

And walks with wicked men?

9For he has said, ‘It is of no use to a man

When he [†]is pleased with God.’

10“Therefore, listen to me, you men with a heart of wisdom.

Far be it from God to do injustice,

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.

12Truly, God will not act wickedly,

And the Almighty will not pervert justice.

13Who appointed Him with authority over the earth?

And who has laid on Him the whole world?

14If He should set His heart on it,

If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath,

15All flesh would breathe its last together,

And man would return to dust.

16“But if you have understanding, hear this;

Give ear to the sound of my speech.

17Shall one who hates justice [†]rule?

And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,

18Who says to a king, ‘Vile one,’

To nobles, ‘Wicked ones’;

19Who shows no partiality to princes

Nor recognizes 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 shadow of death

Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

23[†]For He does not need to consider a man further,

That he should go before God in judgment.

24He breaks in pieces mighty men without searching anything out,

And sets others in their place.

25Therefore He recognizes their labors,

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 insight from 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.

29So if He keeps quiet, who then can condemn?

So if He hides His face, who then can perceive Him?

He is above both nation and man altogether,

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 work destructively anymore;

32Instruct me what I do not behold;

If I have done injustice,

I will not do it again’?

33Shall He repay on your terms, because you have rejected it?

For you must choose, and not I;

Therefore say what you know.

34Men with a heart of wisdom will say to me,

And a wise man who hears me,

35‘Job speaks without knowledge,

And his words are without insight.

36Job ought to be tested [†]to the limit

Because he answers like wicked men.

37For he adds transgression to his sin;

He strikes his hands together among us,

And multiplies his words against God.’”