New American Standard Bible 1995

New Living Translation

1Then Elihu continued and said,

1Then Elihu said:

2"Hear my words, you wise men, And listen to me, you who know.

2“Listen to me, you wise men. Pay attention, you who have knowledge.

3"For the ear tests words As the palate tastes food.

3Job said, ‘The ear tests the words it hears just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.’

4"Let us choose for ourselves what is right; Let us know among ourselves what is good.

4So let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.

5"For Job has said, 'I am righteous, But God has taken away my right;

5For Job also said, ‘I am innocent, but God has taken away my rights.

6Should I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.'

6I am innocent, but they call me a liar. My suffering is incurable, though I have not sinned.’

7"What man is like Job, Who drinks up derision like water,

7“Tell me, has there ever been a man like Job, with his thirst for irreverent talk?

8Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, And walks with wicked men?

8He chooses evil people as companions. He spends his time with wicked men.

9"For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing When he is pleased with God.'

9He has even said, ‘Why waste time trying to please God?’

10"Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wickedness, And from the Almighty to do wrong.

10“Listen to me, you who have understanding. Everyone knows that God doesn’t sin! The Almighty can do no wrong.

11"For He pays a man according to his work, And makes him find it according to his way.

11He repays people according to their deeds. He treats people as they deserve.

12"Surely, God will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice.

12Truly, God will not do wrong. The Almighty will not twist justice.

13"Who gave Him authority over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world?

13Did someone else put the world in his care? Who set the whole world in place?

14"If He should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath,

14If God were to take back his spirit and withdraw his breath,

15All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.

15all life would cease, and humanity would turn again to dust.

16"But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.

16“Now listen to me if you are wise. Pay attention to what I say.

17"Shall one who hates justice rule? And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,

17Could God govern if he hated justice? Are you going to condemn the almighty judge?

18Who says to a king, 'Worthless one,' To nobles, 'Wicked ones';

18For he says to kings, ‘You are wicked,’ and to nobles, ‘You are unjust.’

19Who shows no partiality to princes Nor regards the rich above the poor, For they all are the work of His hands?

19He doesn’t care how great a person may be, and he pays no more attention to the rich than to the poor. He made them all.

20"In a moment they die, and at midnight People are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without a hand.

20In a moment they die. In the middle of the night they pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.

21"For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.

21“For God watches how people live; he sees everything they do.

22"There is no darkness or deep shadow Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

22No darkness is thick enough to hide the wicked from his eyes.

23"For He does not need to consider a man further, That he should go before God in judgment.

23We don’t set the time when we will come before God in judgment.

24"He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry, And sets others in their place.

24He brings the mighty to ruin without asking anyone, and he sets up others in their place.

25"Therefore He knows their works, And He overthrows them in the night, And they are crushed.

25He knows what they do, and in the night he overturns and destroys them.

26"He strikes them like the wicked In a public place,

26He strikes them down because they are wicked, doing it openly for all to see.

27Because they turned aside from following Him, And had no regard for any of His ways;

27For they turned away from following him. They have no respect for any of his ways.

28So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him, And that He might hear the cry of the afflicted--

28They cause the poor to cry out, catching God’s attention. He hears the cries of the needy.

29When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn? And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him, That is, in regard to both nation and man?--

29But if he chooses to remain quiet, who can criticize him? When he hides his face, no one can find him, whether an individual or a nation.

30So that godless men would not rule Nor be snares of the people.

30He prevents the godless from ruling so they cannot be a snare to the people.

31"For has anyone said to God, 'I have borne chastisement; I will not offend anymore;

31“Why don’t people say to God, ‘I have sinned, but I will sin no more’?

32Teach me what I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will not do it again '?

32Or ‘I don’t know what evil I have done—tell me. If I have done wrong, I will stop at once’?

33"Shall He recompense on your terms, because you have rejected it? For you must choose, and not I; Therefore declare what you know.

33“Must God tailor his justice to your demands? But you have rejected him! The choice is yours, not mine. Go ahead, share your wisdom with us.

34"Men of understanding will say to me, And a wise man who hears me,

34After all, bright people will tell me, and wise people will hear me say,

35'Job speaks without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom.

35‘Job speaks out of ignorance; his words lack insight.’

36'Job ought to be tried to the limit, Because he answers like wicked men.

36Job, you deserve the maximum penalty for the wicked way you have talked.

37'For he adds rebellion to his sin; He claps his hands among us, And multiplies his words against God.'"

37For you have added rebellion to your sin; you show no respect, and you speak many angry words against God.”

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org

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