31

1“I made a covenant with my eyes;

how then should I look lustfully at a young woman?

2For what is the portion from God above,

and the heritage from the Almighty on high?

3Is it not calamity to the unrighteous,

and disaster to the workers of iniquity?

4Doesn’t he see my ways,

and count all my steps?

5“If I have walked with falsehood,

and my foot has hurried to deceit

6(let me be weighed in an even balance,

that God may know my integrity);

7if my step has turned out of the way,

if my heart walked after my eyes,

if any defilement has stuck to my hands,

8then let me sow, and let another eat.

Yes, let the produce of my field be rooted out.

9“If my heart has been enticed to a woman,

and I have laid wait at my neighbor’s door,

10then let my wife grind for another,

and let others sleep with her.

11For that would be a heinous crime.

Yes, it would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,

12for it is a fire that consumes to destruction,

and would root out all my increase.

13“If I have despised the cause of my male servant

or of my female servant,

when they contended with me,

14what then will I do when God rises up?

When he visits, what will I answer him?

15Didn’t he who made me in the womb make him?

Didn’t one fashion us in the womb?

16“If I have withheld the poor from their desire,

or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,

17or have eaten my morsel alone,

and the fatherless has not eaten of it

18(no, from my youth he grew up with me as with a father,

I have guided her from my mother’s womb);

19if I have seen any perish for want of clothing,

or that the needy had no covering;

20if his heart hasn’t blessed me,

if he hasn’t been warmed with my sheep’s fleece;

21if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless,

because I saw my help in the gate;

22then let my shoulder fall from the shoulder blade,

and my arm be broken from the bone.

23For calamity from God is a terror to me.

Because of his majesty, I can do nothing.

24“If I have made gold my hope,

and have said to the fine gold, ‘You are my confidence;’

25If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great,

and because my hand had gotten much;

26if I have seen the sun when it shined,

or the moon moving in splendor,

27and my heart has been secretly enticed,

and my hand threw a kiss from my mouth;

28this also would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges,

for I would have denied the God who is above.

29“If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me,

or lifted up myself when evil found him

30(I have certainly not allowed my mouth to sin

by asking his life with a curse);

31if the men of my tent have not said,

‘Who can find one who has not been filled with his meat?’

32(the foreigner has not camped in the street,

but I have opened my doors to the traveler);

33if like Adam I have covered my transgressions,

by hiding my iniquity in my heart,

34because I feared the great multitude,

and the contempt of families terrified me,

so that I kept silence, and didn’t go out of the door—

35oh that I had one to hear me!

Behold, here is my signature! Let the Almighty answer me!

Let the accuser write my indictment!

36Surely I would carry it on my shoulder,

and I would bind it to me as a crown.

37I would declare to him the number of my steps.

I would go near to him like a prince.

38If my land cries out against me,

and its furrows weep together;

39if I have eaten its fruits without money,

or have caused its owners to lose their life,

40let briers grow instead of wheat,

and stinkweed instead of barley.”

The words of Job are ended.

32

1So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2Then the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel, the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was kindled against Job. His wrath was kindled because he justified himself rather than God. 3Also his wrath was kindled against his three friends, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job. 4Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job, because they were elder than he. 5When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was kindled.

6Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered,

“I am young, and you are very old.

Therefore I held back, and didn’t dare show you my opinion.

7I said, ‘Days should speak,

and multitude of years should teach wisdom.’

8But there is a spirit in man,

and the Spirit of the Almighty gives them understanding.

9It is not the great who are wise,

nor the aged who understand justice.

10Therefore I said, ‘Listen to me;

I also will show my opinion.’

11“Behold, I waited for your words,

and I listened for your reasoning,

while you searched out what to say.

12Yes, I gave you my full attention,

but there was no one who convinced Job,

or who answered his words, among you.

13Beware lest you say, ‘We have found wisdom.

God may refute him, not man;’

14for he has not directed his words against me;

neither will I answer him with your speeches.

15“They are amazed. They answer no more.

They don’t have a word to say.

16Shall I wait, because they don’t speak,

because they stand still, and answer no more?

17I also will answer my part,

and I also will show my opinion.

18For I am full of words.

The spirit within me constrains me.

19Behold, my breast is as wine which has no vent;

like new wineskins it is ready to burst.

20I will speak, that I may be refreshed.

I will open my lips and answer.

21Please don’t let me respect any man’s person,

neither will I give flattering titles to any man.

22For I don’t know how to give flattering titles,

or else my Maker would soon take me away.

33

1“However, Job, please hear my speech,

and listen to all my words.

2See now, I have opened my mouth.

My tongue has spoken in my mouth.

3My words will utter the uprightness of my heart.

That which my lips know they will speak sincerely.

4The Spirit of God has made me,

and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

5If you can, answer me.

Set your words in order before me, and stand up.

6Behold, I am toward God even as you are.

I am also formed out of the clay.

7Behold, my terror will not make you afraid,

neither will my pressure be heavy on you.

8“Surely you have spoken in my hearing,

I have heard the voice of your words, saying,

9‘I am clean, without disobedience.

I am innocent, neither is there iniquity in me.

10Behold, he finds occasions against me.

He counts me for his enemy.

11He puts my feet in the stocks.

He marks all my paths.’

12“Behold, I will answer you. In this you are not just,

for God is greater than man.

13Why do you strive against him,

because he doesn’t give account of any of his matters?

14For God speaks once,

yes twice, though man pays no attention.

15In a dream, in a vision of the night,

when deep sleep falls on men,

in slumbering on the bed,

16then he opens the ears of men,

and seals their instruction,

17that he may withdraw man from his purpose,

and hide pride from man.

18He keeps back his soul from the pit,

and his life from perishing by the sword.

19“He is chastened also with pain on his bed,

with continual strife in his bones,

20so that his life abhors bread,

and his soul dainty food.

21His flesh is so consumed away that it can’t be seen.

His bones that were not seen stick out.

22Yes, his soul draws near to the pit,

and his life to the destroyers.

23“If there is beside him an angel,

an interpreter, one among a thousand,

to show to man what is right for him,

24then God is gracious to him, and says,

‘Deliver him from going down to the pit,

I have found a ransom.’

25His flesh will be fresher than a child’s.

He returns to the days of his youth.

26He prays to God, and he is favorable to him,

so that he sees his face with joy.

He restores to man his righteousness.

27He sings before men, and says,

‘I have sinned, and perverted that which was right,

and it didn’t profit me.

28He has redeemed my soul from going into the pit.

My life will see the light.’

29“Behold, God does all these things,

twice, yes three times, with a man,

30to bring back his soul from the pit,

that he may be enlightened with the light of the living.

31Mark well, Job, and listen to me.

Hold your peace, and I will speak.

32If you have anything to say, answer me.

Speak, for I desire to justify you.

33If not, listen to me.

Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”