And Elihu answered and said,
Hear, ye wise men, my words,{HR}And ye men of knowledge give ear to me.
For the ear trieth words, and the palate tasteth food.
Let us choose for ourselves judgment,{HR}Let us know among ourselves what [is] good.
For Job hath said, I am righteous,{HR}And God [El] hath turned aside my right:
Against my right I shall lie.{HR}My wound [is] mortal, without transgression.
Who [is] a man like Job?{HR}He drinketh mockery like water,
And goeth in company with workers of iniquity,{HR}So as to go with men of wickedness;
For he hath said, It profiteth not a man{HR}That he should delight himself with God.
Therefore, hear me, ye men of heart;{HR}Far be it from God [El] to do wickedness,{HR}And [from] Shaddai to do perverseness.
For the work of man he reporteth to him,{HR}And causeth each to find according to his way.
Yea, verily, God [El] doth not act wickedly,{HR}And Shaddai doth not pervert the right.
Who committed to him the earth?{HR}And who established the whole world?
If he should set his heart on himself —{HR}Gather to himself his spirit and his breath,
All flesh would expire together,{HR}And man return to dust.
And if [thou hast] understanding, hear this,{HR}Give ear to the voice of my words.
Yea, doth a hater of right govern?{HR}And wilt thou condemn the mighty just One?
Shall one to a king say, Belial; to princes, Wicked?
Who accepteth not the person of princes,{HR}Nor hath known the rich before the poor?{HR}For the work of his hands [are] they all;
In a moment they die; even at midnight{HR}Is a people shaken, and passeth away,{HR}And the mighty are removed without hand.
For his eyes [are] on the ways of a man,{HR}And he seeth all his steps.
There is no darkness nor death-shade,{HR}Where the workers of iniquity may hide.
For he doth not regard man more,{HR}That he should go to God [El] in judgment;
He breaketh the mighty without inquiry,{HR}And he setteth up others in their stead.
Therefore he knoweth their works,{HR}And overthroweth them in the night, and they are bruised.
As wicked did he strike them publicly,
Who purposely turned aside from after him,{HR}And attended not to any of his ways,
So that the cry of the poor should come to him,{HR}And the cry of the oppressed he heareth.
And he giveth rest, and who can disturb?{HR}And hideth his face, and who beholdeth it?{HR}Whether as to a nation or to a man, the same,
That a corrupt man reign not,{HR}Nor snares [be] to the people.
For had man [but] said to God [El],{HR}I have suffered, I will not offend:
Things beyond [what] I see teach me:{HR}I have done iniquity — I will not do it again.
According to thy judgment shall he requite him?{HR}Nay, but thou hast rejected,{HR}Thou hast chosen, and not I.{HR}And what thou knowest, speak.
Let men of heart tell me,{HR}And let a wise man hear me:
Job hath not spoken with knowledge,{HR}And his words [were] not with wisdom.
Would that Job were proved to the uttermost,{HR}Because of replies like men of iniquity;
For he addeth to his sin rebellion,{HR}In the midst of us he mocketh,{HR}And multiplieth his words against God [El].