Elihu Confirms God’s Justice 1 ULT And Elihu answered and said, BSB BSB: Then Elihu continued:
2 ULT “Hear my words, wise{ ones}, and listen to me, ones knowing. BSB BSB: “Hear my words, O wise men; give ear to me, O men of learning.
3 ULT For the ear tests words, and the palate tastes food. BSB BSB: For the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food.
4 ULT Let us choose justice for ourselves; let us know among ourselves what is good. BSB BSB: Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.
5 ULT For Job has said,‘I am righteous, but God has taken away my justice. BSB BSB: For Job has declared, ‘I am righteous, yet God has deprived me of justice.
6 ULT Would I lie about my justice? My arrow is incurable, without transgression.’ BSB BSB: Would I lie about my case? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7 ULT What man{ is} like Job? He drinks scorn like water, BSB BSB: What man is like Job, who drinks up derision like water?
8 ULT and he travels in company with doers of iniquity and walks with men of wickedness! BSB BSB: He keeps company with evildoers and walks with wicked men.
9 ULT For he has said,‘It does not benefit a man when he delights{ himself} with God.’ BSB BSB: For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.’
10 ULT Therefore, men of heart, listen to me: Sacrilege to God from wickedness, and the Almighty from iniquity! BSB BSB: Therefore listen to me, O men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wrong, and from the Almighty to act unjustly.
11 ULT For the deed of a man he repays to him, and according to the path of a man, he causes it to find him. BSB BSB: For according to a man’s deeds He repays him; according to a man’s ways He brings consequences.
12 ULT Indeed, God truly does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice. BSB BSB: Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
13 ULT Who appointed{ him} over the earth? And who set the world, all of it? BSB BSB: Who gave Him charge over the earth? Who appointed Him over the whole world?
14 ULT If he set his heart upon himself,{ if} he gathered his Spirit and his breath to himself, BSB BSB: If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath,
15 ULT all flesh would expire together, and man would return to the dust. BSB BSB: all flesh would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.
16 ULT But if understanding, hear this; listen to the sound of my words. BSB BSB: If you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words.
17 ULT Will one hating justice indeed govern? Or if you will condemn the Righteous{ One}, the Mighty{ One}, BSB BSB: Could one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One,
18 ULT the one saying‘Worthless!’ to a king,‘Wicked!’{ to} nobles, BSB BSB: who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’
19 ULT who does not lift the faces of princes and does not acknowledge the rich to the face of the poor, for all of them{ are} the work of his hands. BSB BSB: who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.
20 ULT { In} a moment they die, and{ in} the middle of the night people are shaken and they pass, and they take away the mighty, not by a hand. BSB BSB: They die in an instant, in the middle of the night. The people convulse and pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.
21 ULT For his eyes{ are} upon the ways of a man, and he sees all of his steps. BSB BSB: For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step.
22 ULT There is no darkness and there is no deep darkness for the doers of iniquity to be hidden there. BSB BSB: There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity can hide.
23 ULT For he does not set upon a man further, to go to God for judgment. BSB BSB: For God need not examine a man further or have him approach for judgment.
24 ULT He shatters the mighty{ with} no investigation, and he establishes others instead of them. BSB BSB: He shatters the mighty without inquiry and sets up others in their place.
25 ULT Because he regards their deeds, he overthrows{ them} in the night, and they are crushed. BSB BSB: Therefore, He recognizes their deeds; He overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.
26 ULT He strikes them for their wickednesses in the place of the ones seeing, BSB BSB: He strikes them for their wickedness in full view,
27 ULT that because they turned from after him and they did not consider any of his ways, BSB BSB: because they turned aside from Him and had no regard for any of His ways.
28 ULT to cause the cry of the poor to come to him, and he heard the cry of the lowly. BSB BSB: They caused the cry of the poor to come before Him, and He heard the outcry of the afflicted.
29 ULT If he is silent, then who will condemn{ him}? If he hides{ his} face, then who will perceive him? Yet{ he is} over a nation and over a man alike, BSB BSB: But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation,
30 ULT from the reigning of a godless man, from snares of the people. BSB BSB: that godless men should not rule or lay snares for the people.
31 ULT If one says to God,‘I have borne, I will not offend, BSB BSB: Suppose someone says to God, ‘I have endured my punishment; I will offend no more.
32 ULT besides{ what} I see, you teach me; if I have done iniquity, I will not continue,’ BSB BSB: Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’
33 ULT from with you will he repay it? Since you despise, then you will choose and not I. So what you know, speak. BSB BSB: Should God repay you on your own terms when you have disavowed Him? You must choose, not I; so tell me what you know.
34 ULT Men of heart will say to me, and a man of wisdom hearing me, BSB BSB: Men of understanding will declare to me, and the wise men who hear me will say:
35 ULT ‘Job does not speak with knowledge, and his words{ are} not with understanding.’ BSB BSB: ‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’
36 ULT If only Job were tested to the end upon{ his} answers among men of iniquity. BSB BSB: If only Job were tried to the utmost for answering like a wicked man.
37 ULT For he adds transgression to his sin; he claps among us, and he multiplies his words against God.” BSB BSB: For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.