| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Elihu further answered and said: | 1Elihu answered: |
| 2“Hear my words, you wise men; Give ear to me, you who have knowledge. | 2"Listen to my words, you wise men; hear me, you learned men. |
| 3For the ear tests words As the palate tastes food. | 3For the ear assesses words as the mouth tastes food. |
| 4Let us choose justice for ourselves; Let us know among ourselves what is good. | 4Let us evaluate for ourselves what is right; let us come to know among ourselves what is good. |
| 5“For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, But God has taken away my justice; | 5For Job says, 'I am innocent, but God turns away my right. |
| 6Should I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’ | 6Concerning my right, should I lie? My wound is incurable, although I am without transgression.' |
| 7What man is like Job, Who drinks scorn like water, | 7What man is like Job, who drinks derision like water! |
| 8Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, And walks with wicked men? | 8He goes about in company with evildoers, he goes along with wicked men. |
| 9For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing That he should delight in God.’ | 9For he says, 'It does not profit a man when he makes his delight with God.' |
| 10“Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: Far be it from God to do wickedness, And from the Almighty to commit iniquity. | 10"Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wickedness, from the Almighty to do evil. |
| 11For He repays man according to his work, And makes man to find a reward according to his way. | 11For he repays a person for his work, and according to the conduct of a person, he causes the consequences to find him. |
| 12Surely God will never do wickedly, Nor will the Almighty pervert justice. | 12Indeed, in truth, God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice. |
| 13Who gave Him charge over the earth? Or who appointed Him over the whole world? | 13Who entrusted to him the earth? And who put him over the whole world? |
| 14If He should set His heart on it, If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath, | 14If God were to set his heart on it, and gather in his spirit and his breath, |
| 15All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust. | 15all flesh would perish together and human beings would return to dust. |
| 16“If you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words: | 16"If you have understanding, listen to this, hear what I have to say. |
| 17Should one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn Him who is most just? | 17Do you really think that one who hates justice can govern? And will you declare guilty the supremely righteous One, |
| 18Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,’ And to nobles, ‘You are wicked’? | 18who says to a king, 'Worthless man' and to nobles, 'Wicked men,' |
| 19Yet He is not partial to princes, Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor; For they are all the work of His hands. | 19who shows no partiality to princes, and does not take note of the rich more than the poor, because all of them are the work of his hands? |
| 20In a moment they die, in the middle of the night; The people are shaken and pass away; The mighty are taken away without a hand. | 20In a moment they die, in the middle of the night, people are shaken and they pass away. The mighty are removed effortlessly. |
| 21“For His eyes are on the ways of man, And He sees all his steps. | 21For his eyes are on the ways of an individual, he observes all a person's steps. |
| 22There is no darkness nor shadow of death Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. | 22There is no darkness, and no deep darkness, where evildoers can hide themselves. |
| 23For He need not further consider a man, That he should go before God in judgment. | 23For he does not still consider a person, that he should come before God in judgment. |
| 24He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry, And sets others in their place. | 24He shatters the great without inquiry, and sets up others in their place. |
| 25Therefore He knows their works; He overthrows them in the night, And they are crushed. | 25Therefore, he knows their deeds, he overthrows them in the night and they are crushed. |
| 26He strikes them as wicked men In the open sight of others, | 26He strikes them for their wickedness, in a place where people can see, |
| 27Because they turned back from Him, And would not consider any of His ways, | 27because they have turned away from following him, and have not understood any of his ways, |
| 28So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him; For He hears the cry of the afflicted. | 28so that they caused the cry of the poor to come before him, so that he hears the cry of the needy. |
| 29When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble? And when He hides His face, who then can see Him, Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?— | 29But if God is quiet, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, then who can see him? Yet he is over the individual and the nation alike, |
| 30That the hypocrite should not reign, Lest the people be ensnared. | 30so that the godless man should not rule, and not lay snares for the people. |
| 31“For has anyone said to God, ‘I have borne chastening; I will offend no more; | 31"Has anyone said to God, 'I have endured chastisement, but I will not act wrongly any more. |
| 32Teach me what I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’? | 32Teach me what I cannot see. If I have done evil, I will do so no more.' |
| 33Should He repay it according to your terms, Just because you disavow it? You must choose, and not I; Therefore speak what you know. | 33Is it your opinion that God should recompense it, because you reject this? But you must choose, and not I, so tell us what you know. |
| 34“Men of understanding say to me, Wise men who listen to me: | 34Men of understanding say to me--any wise man listening to me says-- |
| 35‘Job speaks without knowledge, His words are without wisdom.’ | 35that Job speaks without knowledge and his words are without understanding. |
| 36Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost, Because his answers are like those of wicked men! | 36But Job will be tested to the end, 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 transgression to his sin; in our midst he claps his hands, and multiplies his words against God." |
|
