Elihu Rebukes Job and His Three Friends
32 Then these three men ceased from answering Job because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 So Elihu the son of Barakel the Buzite, from the clan of Ram, became angry. He became angry at Job because he justified himself rather than God, 3 and he became angry at his three friends because they had not found an answer, and they had declared Job guilty. 4 Thus Elihu had waited for Job to speak because they were older than he. 5 When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, he became angry. 6 Then Elihu the son of Barakel the Buzite spoke up and said,
“I am young, but you are old;
therefore I feared and became afraid of explaining my knowledge to you.
7 I thought, ‘Let days speak,
and let many years teach wisdom.’
8 “Truly, it is a spirit in a human being,
and the breath of Shaddai teaches them.
9 It is not the aged who are wise,
or it is not the elders who understand justice.
10 Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me;
let me also declare my knowledge myself.’
11 “Look, I waited for your words;
I listened for your insight,
until you searched out what to say.
12 And I directed my attention to you;
and, look, there is no one for Job who refuted,
answering his words among you.
13 So do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;
let God refute him, not a man.’
14 But he did not direct his words to me,
and I will not answer him with your words.
15 “They are dismayed; they no longer answer;
they have nothing to say.
16 And I have waited because they do not speak,
because they stand there and no longer answer.
17 I myself will answer my share also;
I myself will declare my knowledge also,
18 for I am full of words;
the spirit within me urges me.
19 “Look, my internal organs are like unopened wine,
like new wineskins it is ready to burst open.
20 Let me speak that I may find relief;
let me open my lips, and let me answer.
21 Please let me not show partiality to anyone,
and let me not show flattery to human beings,
22 for I do not know how to flatter,
else my Maker would soon put an end to me.
Footnotes
- Job 32:2
- Job 32:2
- Job 32:3
- Job 32:4
- Job 32:4
- Job 32:5
- Job 32:6
- Job 32:6
- Job 32:6
- Job 32:6
- Job 32:6
- Job 32:7
- Job 32:7
- Job 32:9
- Job 32:9
- Job 32:11
- Job 32:11
- Job 32:11
- Job 32:12
- Job 32:14
- Job 32:14
- Job 32:14
- Job 32:15
- Job 32:18
- Job 32:18
- Job 32:19
- Job 32:20
- Job 32:21
- Job 32:22
- Job 32:22
