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Elihu Addresses Job and His Friends

32 These three men stopped responding to Job, because he was claiming to be righteous, in his own opinion.[a] But then Barachel’s son Elihu from Buz, one of Ram’s descendants, got really angry. He was furious with Job because he had been declaring himself righteous instead of vindicating God. Furthermore, he was furious with his three friends because they had not answered Job, but instead had condemned him. Elihu waited to have a word with Job, since the others were older than he, but when he saw that there had been no response[b] from those three, he got even more angry. Barachel’s son Elihu from Buz responded and said:

“I’m younger than you are.
    Because you’re older,[c] I was terrified
        to tell you what I know.
I thought, experience[d] should speak;
    abundance of years teaches wisdom.
However, a spirit exists in mankind,
    and the Almighty’s breath gives him insight.”

There’s No Fool Like an Old Fool

“The aged aren’t always wise,
    nor do the elderly always understand justice.
10 Therefore I’m saying, ‘Listen to me!’
    Then I’ll declare what I know.

11 “Look! I have waited to hear your speech,
    so I listened to your insights
        while you searched for the right words to say.[e]
12 Indeed, I paid close attention to you all,
    but none of you were able to refute[f] Job
        or answer his arguments convincingly.

13 “So that you cannot claim, ‘We have found wisdom!’
    let God do the rebuking, not man;
14 let him not direct a rebuke toward me.
    I won’t be responding to him with your arguments.

15 “Job’s friends[g] won’t reason with him anymore;
    discouraged, words escape them.
16 Shall I continue to wait, since they’re no longer talking?
    After all, they’re only standing there;
        they’re no longer responding.

17 “I will contribute my arguments[h] as an answer;
    I’ll declare what I know,
18 because I’m filled with things to say,
    and my spirit within me compels me to speak.[i]
19 My insides feel like unvented wine,
    like it’s about to burst like a new wineskin.

20 “Let me speak! I need relief!
    Let me open my lips and respond.
21 I won’t discriminate against anyone,
    and I won’t flatter any person,
22 since I don’t know the first thing about how to flatter;
    and the one who made me would sweep me away
        as if I were nothing.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 32:1 Lit. eyes
  2. Job 32:5 Lit. mouth
  3. Job 32:6 Lit. aged
  4. Job 32:7 Lit. days
  5. Job 32:11 The Heb. lacks to say
  6. Job 32:12 Or rebuke
  7. Job 32:15 Lit. They
  8. Job 32:17 Lit. portion
  9. Job 32:18 The Heb. lacks to speak

Elihu

32 So these three men stopped answering Job,(A) because he was righteous in his own eyes.(B) But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite,(C) of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself(D) rather than God.(E) He was also angry with the three friends,(F) because they had found no way to refute Job,(G) and yet had condemned him.[a](H) Now Elihu had waited before speaking to Job because they were older than he.(I) But when he saw that the three men had nothing more to say, his anger was aroused.

So Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite said:

“I am young in years,
    and you are old;(J)
that is why I was fearful,
    not daring to tell you what I know.
I thought, ‘Age should speak;
    advanced years should teach wisdom.’(K)
But it is the spirit[b](L) in a person,
    the breath of the Almighty,(M) that gives them understanding.(N)
It is not only the old[c] who are wise,(O)
    not only the aged(P) who understand what is right.(Q)

10 “Therefore I say: Listen to me;(R)
    I too will tell you what I know.(S)
11 I waited while you spoke,
    I listened to your reasoning;
while you were searching for words,
12     I gave you my full attention.
But not one of you has proved Job wrong;
    none of you has answered his arguments.(T)
13 Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom;(U)
    let God, not a man, refute(V) him.’
14 But Job has not marshaled his words against me,(W)
    and I will not answer him with your arguments.

15 “They are dismayed and have no more to say;
    words have failed them.(X)
16 Must I wait, now that they are silent,
    now that they stand there with no reply?
17 I too will have my say;
    I too will tell what I know.(Y)
18 For I am full of words,
    and the spirit(Z) within me compels me;(AA)
19 inside I am like bottled-up wine,
    like new wineskins ready to burst.(AB)
20 I must speak and find relief;
    I must open my lips and reply.(AC)
21 I will show no partiality,(AD)
    nor will I flatter anyone;(AE)
22 for if I were skilled in flattery,
    my Maker(AF) would soon take me away.(AG)

Footnotes

  1. Job 32:3 Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition Job, and so had condemned God
  2. Job 32:8 Or Spirit; also in verse 18
  3. Job 32:9 Or many; or great