Dual Panel1Then Elihu said:
2"Listen to me, you wise men. Pay attention, you who have knowledge.
3‘Just as the mouth tastes good food, the ear tests the words it hears.’
4So let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.
5For Job has said, ‘I am innocent, but God has taken away my rights.
6I am innocent, but they call me a liar. My suffering is incurable, even though I have not sinned.’
7"Has there ever been a man as arrogant as Job, with his thirst for irreverent talk?
8He seeks the companionship of evil people. He spends his time with wicked men.
9He has even said, ‘Why waste time trying to please God?’
10"Listen to me, you who have understanding. Everyone knows that God doesn’t sin! The Almighty can do no wrong.
11He repays people according to their deeds. He treats people according to their ways.
12There is no truer statement than this: God will not do wrong. The Almighty cannot twist justice.
13Who put the world in his care? Who has set the whole world in place?
14If God were to take back his spirit and withdraw his breath,
15all life would cease, and humanity would turn again to dust.
16"Listen now and try to understand.
17Could God govern if he hated justice? Are you going to condemn the almighty Judge?
18For he says to kings and nobles, ‘You are wicked and unjust.’
19He doesn’t care how great a person may be, and he doesn’t pay any more attention to the rich than to the poor. He made them all.
20In a moment they die. At midnight they all pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.
21"For God carefully watches the way people live; he sees everything they do.
22No darkness is thick enough to hide the wicked from his eyes.
23For it is not up to mortals to decide when to come before God in judgment.
24He brings the mighty to ruin without asking anyone, and he sets up others in their places.
25He watches what they do, and in the night he overturns them, destroying them.
26He openly strikes them down for their wickedness.
27For they turned aside from following him. They have no respect for any of his ways.
28So they cause the poor to cry out, catching God’s attention. Yes, he hears the cries of the needy.
29When he is quiet, who can make trouble? But when he hides his face, who can find him?
30He prevents the godless from ruling so they cannot be a snare to the people.
31"Why don’t people say to God, ‘I have sinned, but I will sin no more’?
32Or ‘I don’t know what evil I have done; tell me, and I will stop at once’?
33"Must God tailor his justice to your demands? But you have rejected him! The choice is yours, not mine. Go ahead, share your wisdom with us.
34After all, bright people will tell me, and wise people will hear me say,
35‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’
36Job, you deserve the maximum penalty for the wicked way you have talked.
37For now you have added rebellion and blasphemy against God to your other sins."