| English Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then Elihu answered and said: | 1Then Elihu continued, saying: |
| 2“Hear my words, you wise men, and give ear to me, you who know; | 2Hear my words, you wise men, and listen to me, you knowledgeable ones. |
| 3for the ear tests words as the palate tastes food. | 3Doesn't the ear test words as the palate tastes food? |
| 4Let us choose what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good. | 4Let us judge for ourselves what is right; let us decide together what is good. |
| 5For Job has said, ‘I am in the right, and God has taken away my right; | 5For Job has declared, "I am righteous, yet God has deprived me of justice. |
| 6in spite of my right I am counted a liar; my wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’ | 6Would I lie about my case? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression." |
| 7What man is like Job, who drinks up scoffing like water, | 7What man is like Job? He drinks derision like water. |
| 8who travels in company with evildoers and walks with wicked men? | 8He keeps company with evildoers and walks with wicked men. |
| 9For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should take delight in God.’ | 9For he has said, "A man gains nothing when he becomes God's friend." |
| 10“Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong. | 10Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding. It is impossible for God to do wrong, and for the Almighty to act unjustly. |
| 11For according to the work of a man he will repay him, and according to his ways he will make it befall him. | 11For He repays a person according to his deeds, and He brings his ways on him. |
| 12Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice. | 12Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly and the Almighty does not pervert justice. |
| 13Who gave him charge over the earth, and who laid on him the whole world? | 13Who gave Him authority over the earth? Who put Him in charge of the entire world? |
| 14If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, | 14If He put His mind to it and withdrew the spirit and breath He gave, |
| 15all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust. | 15every living thing would perish together and mankind would return to the dust. |
| 16“If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say. | 16If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I have to say. |
| 17Shall one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty, | 17Could one who hates justice govern the world? Will you condemn the mighty Righteous One, |
| 18who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’ and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’ | 18who says to a king, "Worthless man!" and to nobles, "Wicked men!"? |
| 19who shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands? | 19God is not partial to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor, for they are all the work of His hands. |
| 20In a moment they die; at midnight the people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away by no human hand. | 20They die suddenly in the middle of the night; people shudder, then pass away. Even the mighty are removed without effort. |
| 21“For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps. | 21For His eyes watch over a man's ways, and He observes all his steps. |
| 22There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves. | 22There is no darkness, no deep darkness, where evildoers can hide themselves. |
| 23For God has no need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment. | 23God does not need to examine a person further, that one should approach Him in court. |
| 24He shatters the mighty without investigation and sets others in their place. | 24He shatters the mighty without an investigation and sets others in their place. |
| 25Thus, knowing their works, he overturns them in the night, and they are crushed. | 25Therefore, He recognizes their deeds and overthrows them by night, and they are crushed. |
| 26He strikes them for their wickedness in a place for all to see, | 26In full view of the public, He strikes them for their wickedness, |
| 27because they turned aside from following him and had no regard for any of his ways, | 27because they turned aside from following Him and did not understand any of His ways |
| 28so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him, and he heard the cry of the afflicted— | 28but caused the poor to cry out to Him, and He heard the outcry of the afflicted. |
| 29When he is quiet, who can condemn? When he hides his face, who can behold him, whether it be a nation or a man?— | 29But when God is silent, who can declare Him guilty? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both individuals and nations, |
| 30that a godless man should not reign, that he should not ensnare the people. | 30so that godless men should not rule or ensnare the people. |
| 31“For has anyone said to God, ‘I have borne punishment; I will not offend any more; | 31Suppose someone says to God, "I have endured my punishment; I will no longer act wickedly. |
| 32teach me what I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’? | 32Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I won't do it again." |
| 33Will he then make repayment to suit you, because you reject it? For you must choose, and not I; therefore declare what you know. | 33Should God repay you on your terms when you have rejected His? You must choose, not I! So declare what you know. |
| 34Men of understanding will say to me, and the wise man who hears me will say: | 34Reasonable men will say to me, along with the wise men who hear me, |
| 35‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without insight.’ | 35"Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without insight." |
| 36Would that Job were tried to the end, because he answers like wicked men. | 36If only Job were tested to the limit, because his answers are like those of wicked men. |
| 37For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.” | 37For he adds rebellion to his sin; he scornfully claps in our presence, while multiplying his words against God. |
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