Job 32

Elihu

¹So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. ²But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. ³He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to refute Job, and yet had condemned him. ⁴Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he. ⁵But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.

⁶So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said:

“I am young in years,

and you are old;

that is why I was fearful,

not daring to tell you what I know.

⁷I thought, ‘Age should speak;

advanced years should teach wisdom.’

⁸But it is the spirit in a person,

the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.

⁹It is not only the old who are wise,

not only the aged who understand what is right.

¹⁰“Therefore I say: Listen to me;

I too will tell you what I know.

¹¹I waited while you spoke,

I listened to your reasoning;

while you were searching for words,

¹²I gave you my full attention.

But not one of you has proved Job wrong;

none of you has answered his arguments.

¹³Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;

let God, not a man, refute him.’

¹⁴But Job has not marshaled his words against me,

and I will not answer him with your arguments.

¹⁵“They are dismayed and have no more to say;

words have failed them.

¹⁶Must I wait, now that they are silent,

now that they stand there with no reply?

¹⁷I too will have my say;

I too will tell what I know.

¹⁸For I am full of words,

and the spirit within me compels me;

¹⁹inside I am like bottled-up wine,

like new wineskins ready to burst.

²⁰I must speak and find relief;

I must open my lips and reply.

²¹I will show no partiality,

nor will I flatter anyone;

²²for if I were skilled in flattery,

my Maker would soon take me away.