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Then Elihu continued and said,

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

-"For ^(C1)the ear tests words As the palate tastes food.

-"Let us choose for ourselves what is right; Let us understand among ourselves what is good.

-"For Job has said, '^(C1)I am righteous, But ^(C2)God has taken away my right;

^(F1)Should I lie about my right? My ^(F2)(C1)wound is incurable, though I am without wrongdoing.'

-"What man is like Job, Who ^(C1)drinks up derision like water,

Who goes ^(C1)in company with the workers of injustice, And walks with wicked people?

-"For he has said, '^(C1)It is of no use to a man When he becomes friends with God.'

"Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to ^(C1)do evil, And from the Almighty to do wrong.

-"For He repays a person for ^(C1)his work, And lets things happen in correspondence to a man's ^(F1)behavior.

-"^(C1)God certainly will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice.

-"Who ^(C1)gave Him authority over the earth? And who ^(C2)has placed the whole world on Him?

-"If He were to ^(F1)determine to do so, If He were to ^(C1)gather His ^(F2)spirit and His breath to Himself,

^(F1)(C1)Humanity would perish together, And mankind would ^(C2)return to dust.

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

-"Shall ^(C1)one who hates justice rule? And ^(C2)will you condemn the righteous mighty One,

Who says to a king, 'You worthless one,' To nobles, 'You wicked one';

Who shows no ^(C1)partiality to the prominent, Nor regards the rich as above the poor, Since they are all the ^(C2)work of His hands?

-"In a moment they die, and ^(C1)at midnight People are shaken and pass away, And ^(C2)the powerful are taken away without a hand.

"For ^(C1)His eyes are upon the ways of a person, And He sees all his steps.

-"There is ^(C1)no darkness or deep shadow Where the workers of injustice can hide themselves.

-"For He does not ^(C1)need to consider a person further, That he should go before God in judgment.

-"He breaks in pieces the ^(C1)mighty without investigation, And sets others in their place.

-"Therefore He ^(C1)knows their deeds, And ^(C2)He overthrows them in the night, And they are crushed.

-"He ^(C1)strikes them like the wicked ^(F1)In a public place,

Because they ^(C1)turned aside from following Him, And ^(C2)had no regard for any of His ways,

So that they caused ^(C1)the cry of the poor to come to Him, And that He would ^(C2)hear the cry of the afflicted—

When He keeps quiet, who can condemn? And when He hides His face, who then can look at Him, That is, regarding both nation and a person?—

-"So that ^(C1)godless people would not rule, Nor be snares for the people.

"For has anyone said to God, 'I have endured punishment; I will not offend anymore;

Teach me what I do not see; If I have ^(C1)done wrong, I will not do it again'?

-"Shall God ^(C1)repay on your terms, because you have rejected His? For you must choose, and not I; Therefore declare what you know.

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

'Job ^(C1)speaks without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom.

-'Oh that Job were tested ^(F1)to the limit, Because ^(F2)he answers ^(C1)like sinners.

-'For he adds ^(C1)rebellion to his sin; He ^(C2)claps his hands among us, And multiplies his words against God.'"

Then Elihu continued and said,

"Do you think this is in accordance with ^(C1)justice? Do you say, 'My righteousness is more than God's'?

-"For you say, '^(C1)What advantage will it be to ^(F1)You? ^(C2)What benefit will I have, more than if I had sinned?'

-"I will answer you, And your friends with you.

-"^(C1)Look at the heavens and see; And look at ^(C2)the clouds—they are higher than you.

-"If you have sinned, ^(C1)what do you accomplish against Him? And if your wrongdoings are many, what do you do to Him?

-"If you are righteous, ^(C1)what do you give to Him, Or what does He receive from your hand?

-"Your wickedness is for a man like yourself, And your righteousness is for a son of man.

"Because of the ^(C1)multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry for help because of the arm ^(C2)of the mighty.

-"But ^(C1)no one says, 'Where is God my Maker, Who ^(C2)gives songs in the night,

Who ^(C1)teaches us more than the animals of the earth And makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?'

-"There ^(C1)they cry out, but He does not answer Because of the pride of evil people.

-"^(C1)God certainly will not listen to ^(F1)an empty cry, Nor will the Almighty regard it.

-"How much less when ^(C1)you say you do not look at Him, The ^(C2)case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!

-"And now, because He has not avenged His anger, Nor has He acknowledged ^(F1)wrongdoing well,

So Job opens his mouth with empty words; He multiplies words ^(C1)without knowledge."