If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;

(For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;)

If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate:

For I'm terrified of what calamity God may have in store for me; and I cannot endure his grandeur."

If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;

If I have rejoiced because my wealth was great, And because my hand had gotten much;

If I have beheld the sun when it shined, Or the moon walking in brightness,

And my heart have been secretly enticed, so that my mouth kissed my hand:

This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.

If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, Or lifted up myself when evil found him;

Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

If the men of my tent have not said, Who can find one that hath not been filled with his meat?

(The sojourner hath not lodged in the street; But I have opened my doors to the traveller);

If like Adam I have covered my transgressions, By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,

Have I feared large crowds? Has my family's contempt ever terrified me so that I remained silent and wouldn't go outside?"

I have told the number of my goings, and delivered them unto him as to a prince.

“For if my land has cried out against me,
And its furrows weep together;

If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:

and against his three friends hath his anger burned, because that they have not found an answer, and condemn Job.

Elihu waited to have a word with Job, since the others were older than he,

And Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite answereth and saith: -- Young I am in days, and ye are age Therefore I have feared, And am afraid of shewing you my opinion.

It is not the old who are wise, and those who are full of years have not the knowledge of what is right.

Therefore I have said: Hearken to me, I do shew my opinion -- even I.

Lo, I have waited for your words, I give ear unto your reasons, Till ye search out sayings.

Lest ye should say, We have found out wisdom: God thrusteth him down, not man.

“Now Job has not directed his words against me [therefore I have no reason to be offended],
Nor will I answer him with arguments like yours. [I speak for truth, not for revenge.]

They are amazed, they answer no more: They have not a word to say.

And I have waited, but they do not speak, For they have stood still, They have not answered any more.)

I have a good hope for my part to shape him an answer, and to show him my meaning.

For I have been full of words, Distressed me hath the spirit of my breast,

Therefore will I speak, that I may have vent: I will open my lips, and make answer.

For I have not known to give flattering titles, In a little doth my Maker take me away.

“However, Job, please listen to my words,
And pay attention to everything I say.

Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth.

Of the uprightness of my heart are my sayings, And knowledge have my lips clearly spoken.

Lo, I am, according to thy word, for God, From the clay I -- I also, have been formed.

Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,

Pure am I, without transgression, Innocent am I, and I have no iniquity.

Why are you arguing with him? He doesn't have to give explanations for what he does to you!

Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.

He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;

He hath ransomed my soul from passing away into the pit, - and, my life, in the light, shall have vision.

Mark well, O Job, and hear me: hold thee still until I have spoken.

If there are words -- answer me, Speak, for I have a desire to justify thee.

“If not [and you have nothing to say], listen to me;
Keep silent, and I will teach you wisdom.”

Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

Let us make the decision for ourselves as to what is right; let us have the knowledge among ourselves of what is good.

For Job hath said, 'I have been righteous, And God hath turned aside my right,

Though I am right, still I am in pain; my wound may not be made well, though I have done no wrong.

saying, I have not sinned, nor committed unrighteousness, nor had fellowship with workers of iniquity to go with the profane.

"Therefore, listen to me, {people who have sense}: far be it from God {that he should commit wickedness} and that Shaddai {should do wrong}.

“If you now have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words.

Who has no respect for rulers, and who gives no more attention to those who have wealth than to the poor, for they are all the work of his hands.

Because they turned aside from following him, And would not have regard in any of his ways:

As a result, the cries of the poor have reached him and he has heard the cry of the afflicted.

Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:

That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

Should God repay you on your terms
when you have rejected His?
You must choose, not I!
So declare what you know.

{Those who have sense} say to me, and [the] wise man hearing me [says]:

May Job be tested to the end, because his answers have been like those of evil men.

For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

Behold attentively the heavens -- and see, And behold the clouds, They have been higher than thou.

If thou hast sinned, what dost thou against Him? And thy transgressions have been multiplied, What dost thou to Him?

Your evil-doing may have an effect on a man like yourself, or your righteousness on a son of man.

"They cry out because they have many oppressors; they cry for help because the powerful are abusing them.

Job uselessly opens his mouth
And multiplies words without knowledge [drawing the worthless conclusion that the righteous have no more advantage than the wicked].”

Suffer me a little, and I will shew thee that I have yet to speak on God's behalf.

because what I have to say isn't deceptive, and the one who has perfect knowledge is with you."

He will not withdraw - from a righteous one - his eyes, - but, with kings on the throne, He hath seated men triumphantly, and they have been exalted.

And if they have been prisoned in chains, and taken in cords of trouble,

Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.

Those who have a godless heart harbor anger;
even when God binds them, they do not cry for help.

Even so would he have removed thee out of the strait into a broad place, where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.

Yet now you are obsessed with the judgment due the wicked;
judgment and justice have seized you.

“Take heed and be careful, do not turn to wickedness,
For you have chosen this [the vice of complaining against God] rather than [learning from] affliction.

“Who has appointed God His way,
And who can say [to Him], ‘You have done wrong’?

Remember that thou magnify his work, Whereof men have sung.

All men have looked thereon; Man beholdeth it afar off.

He does wonders, more than may be searched out; great things of which we have no knowledge;

"When he commandeth the snow, it falleth upon the earth: As soon as he giveth the rain a charge, immediately the showers have their strength, and fall down.

Have you knowledge of God's ordering of his works, how he makes the light of his cloud to be seen?

Have you knowledge of the balancings of the clouds, the wonders of him who has all wisdom?

Have you with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten mirror?

How may he have knowledge of my desire for talk with him? or did any man ever say, May destruction come on me?

And now, they have not seen the light, Bright it is in the clouds, And the wind hath passed by and cleanseth them.

The Mighty! we have not found Him out, High in power and judgment, He doth not answer! And abundant in righteousness,

“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know and have understanding.

By whom were its measures fixed? Say, if you have wisdom; or by whom was the line stretched out over it?

On what have its sockets been sunk? Or who hath cast its corner-stone?

“Since your days began, have you ever commanded the morning,
And caused the dawn to know its place,

“Have you entered and explored the springs of the sea
Or [have you] walked in the recesses of the deep?

Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

“Have you understood the expanse of the earth?
Tell Me, if you know all this.

Don’t you know? You were already born;
you have lived so long!

“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow,
Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail,

Which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

Does the rain have a father?
Who fathered the drops of dew?