¹Elihu continued:

²Hear my words, wise ones;

³for the ear tests words

⁴Let’s choose for us what’s right;

let’s determine among ourselves what’s good;

⁵for Job has said, “I’m innocent;

⁶because of my cause I’m thought a liar;

⁷Who is a man like Job?

He drinks mockery like water

⁸and travels a path with wrongdoers,

⁹Indeed he said, “No one is rewarded

for delighting in God.”

¹⁰Therefore, intelligent ones, hear me;

far be it from God to do evil

and the Almighty to sin,

¹¹for he repays people based on what they do,

¹²Surely God doesn’t act wickedly;

the Almighty doesn’t distort justice.

¹³Who placed earth in his care,

and who gave him dominion over the entire world?

¹⁴If he were to decide to do it—

to gather his spirit and breath back to himself—

¹⁶But if you have understanding, hear this;

pay attention to the sound of my words.

¹⁷Will one who hates justice rule;

will you condemn the most righteous one?

¹⁸Will you say to a king, “Worthless!”

to royalty, “Evil!”

¹⁹Who shows no favor to princes

for they are all the work of God’s hands?

²⁰In the middle of the night they suddenly die;

The mighty are removed, not by a human hand.

²¹God’s eyes are on human ways,

and he sees all their steps.

²²There’s no darkness, no deep darkness,

where evildoers can hide themselves;

²³surely no time is set for a person

to appear before God in judgment.

²⁴He shatters the mighty without examining them;

makes others take their place.

²⁵Thus he regards their deeds,

overturns them at night, and they are crushed.

²⁶He strikes them because of their wickedness

at a place where people can see it.

²⁷Because they turned from following him

he hears the cry of the afflicted.

²⁹Still, if he remains quiet, who can condemn;

if he hides his face, who can see him?

³⁰He prevents a lawless person from ruling,

from capturing people.

³¹Has Job said to God,

“I have borne punishment; I won’t sin again?

³²You teach me what I can’t see;

if I’ve sinned, I won’t do it again.”

³³Will he repay you because you reject sin,

for you must choose, not I;

declare what you know.

³⁴Smart people say to me,

³⁵“Job speaks without knowledge;

³⁶I wish Job would be tested to the limit

because he responds like evil people.

³⁷He adds rebellion to his sin;

mocks us openly

and adds to his words against God.