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Elihu Keeps On Speaking

¹ Then Elihu said, ² "Hear my words, you wise men. Listen to me, you who know. ³ For the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food. ⁴ Let us choose for ourselves what is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good. ⁵ For Job has said, ‘I am right and good, but God has taken away my right. ⁶ Would I lie about my right? I have been hurt so that I cannot be healed, but I have done no wrong.' ⁷ What man is like Job, who drinks up words against him like water? ⁸ He goes among those who do wrong, and walks with sinful men. ⁹ For he has said, ‘A man gets nothing by trying to please God.'

¹⁰ "So listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do what is sinful, and from the All-powerful to do wrong. ¹¹ For He pays a man by the work he does. He will see that a man is paid for what he does. ¹² For sure God will not do wrong. The All-powerful will not turn what is right into sin. ¹³ Who gave Him the power over the earth? Who gave Him the whole world to take care of? ¹⁴ If He should take back His spirit and His breath, ¹⁵ all flesh would die together, and man would return to dust.

¹⁶ "If you have understanding, hear this. Listen to what I say. ¹⁷ Should one who hates what is right be the one to rule? Will you say that He Who is right and good and strong is guilty? ¹⁸ Who says to a king, ‘You are of no worth,' and to rulers, ‘You are sinful'? ¹⁹ Who shows no favor to princes, or thinks of the rich as more important than the poor? They are all the work of His hands. ²⁰ In a short time they die. At midnight the people are shaken and pass away. And the powerful are taken away by no human hand.

²¹ "For God's eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps. ²² There is no darkness or shadow where sinners can hide themselves. ²³ For God does not need to set a time for man to go before Him and be judged. ²⁴ He breaks powerful men in pieces without asking any reason, and puts others in their place. ²⁵ For He knows their works. He puts them down in the night, and they are crushed. ²⁶ God punishes them for their sin where everyone can see them. ²⁷ Because they turned aside from following Him. They did not care about any of His ways. ²⁸ So they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him. And He heard the cry of those in need. ²⁹ When He keeps quiet, who can say He is wrong? When He hides His face, who can see Him? But He is over both nation and man. ³⁰ So men without God should not rule and should not be a trap for the people.

³¹ "For has any one said to God, ‘I have suffered punishment, and will not cause any more trouble? ³² Teach me what I cannot see. If I have sinned, I will do it no more'? ³³ Will God ask what you want to do, when you will not do what He says? You must decide, and not I. So tell what you know. ³⁴ Men of understanding will say to me, and wise men who hear me say, ³⁵ ‘Job speaks without much learning. His words are without wisdom. ³⁶ Job should be tried to the end, because he answers like sinful men. ³⁷ To his sin he adds a strong will against God. Making fun he claps his hands among us, and speaks many words against God.'"