| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Elihu answered: | 1Then Elihu said: |
| 2"Listen to my words, you wise men; hear me, you learned men. | 2“Listen to me, you wise men. Pay attention, you who have knowledge. |
| 3For the ear assesses words as the mouth tastes food. | 3Job said, ‘The ear tests the words it hears just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.’ |
| 4Let us evaluate for ourselves what is right; let us come to know among ourselves what is good. | 4So let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good. |
| 5For Job says, 'I am innocent, but God turns away my right. | 5For Job also said, ‘I am innocent, but God has taken away my rights. |
| 6Concerning my right, should I lie? My wound is incurable, although I am without transgression.' | 6I am innocent, but they call me a liar. My suffering is incurable, though I have not sinned.’ |
| 7What man is like Job, who drinks derision like water! | 7“Tell me, has there ever been a man like Job, with his thirst for irreverent talk? |
| 8He goes about in company with evildoers, he goes along with wicked men. | 8He chooses evil people as companions. He spends his time with wicked men. |
| 9For he says, 'It does not profit a man when he makes his delight with God.' | 9He has even said, ‘Why waste time trying to please God?’ |
| 10"Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wickedness, from the Almighty to do evil. | 10“Listen to me, you who have understanding. Everyone knows that God doesn’t sin! The Almighty can do no wrong. |
| 11For he repays a person for his work, and according to the conduct of a person, he causes the consequences to find him. | 11He repays people according to their deeds. He treats people as they deserve. |
| 12Indeed, in truth, God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice. | 12Truly, God will not do wrong. The Almighty will not twist justice. |
| 13Who entrusted to him the earth? And who put him over the whole world? | 13Did someone else put the world in his care? Who set the whole world in place? |
| 14If God were to set his heart on it, and gather in his spirit and his breath, | 14If God were to take back his spirit and withdraw his breath, |
| 15all flesh would perish together and human beings would return to dust. | 15all life would cease, and humanity would turn again to dust. |
| 16"If you have understanding, listen to this, hear what I have to say. | 16“Now listen to me if you are wise. Pay attention to what I say. |
| 17Do you really think that one who hates justice can govern? And will you declare guilty the supremely righteous One, | 17Could God govern if he hated justice? Are you going to condemn the almighty judge? |
| 18who says to a king, 'Worthless man' and to nobles, 'Wicked men,' | 18For he says to kings, ‘You are wicked,’ and to nobles, ‘You are unjust.’ |
| 19who shows no partiality to princes, and does not take note of the rich more than the poor, because all of them are the work of his hands? | 19He doesn’t care how great a person may be, and he pays no more attention to the rich than to the poor. He made them all. |
| 20In a moment they die, in the middle of the night, people are shaken and they pass away. The mighty are removed effortlessly. | 20In a moment they die. In the middle of the night they pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand. |
| 21For his eyes are on the ways of an individual, he observes all a person's steps. | 21“For God watches how people live; he sees everything they do. |
| 22There is no darkness, and no deep darkness, where evildoers can hide themselves. | 22No darkness is thick enough to hide the wicked from his eyes. |
| 23For he does not still consider a person, that he should come before God in judgment. | 23We don’t set the time when we will come before God in judgment. |
| 24He shatters the great without inquiry, and sets up others in their place. | 24He brings the mighty to ruin without asking anyone, and he sets up others in their place. |
| 25Therefore, he knows their deeds, he overthrows them in the night and they are crushed. | 25He knows what they do, and in the night he overturns and destroys them. |
| 26He strikes them for their wickedness, in a place where people can see, | 26He strikes them down because they are wicked, doing it openly for all to see. |
| 27because they have turned away from following him, and have not understood any of his ways, | 27For they turned away from following him. They have no respect for any of his ways. |
| 28so that they caused the cry of the poor to come before him, so that he hears the cry of the needy. | 28They cause the poor to cry out, catching God’s attention. He hears the cries of the needy. |
| 29But if God is quiet, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, then who can see him? Yet he is over the individual and the nation alike, | 29But if he chooses to remain quiet, who can criticize him? When he hides his face, no one can find him, whether an individual or a nation. |
| 30so that the godless man should not rule, and not lay snares for the people. | 30He prevents the godless from ruling so they cannot be a snare to the people. |
| 31"Has anyone said to God, 'I have endured chastisement, but I will not act wrongly any more. | 31“Why don’t people say to God, ‘I have sinned, but I will sin no more’? |
| 32Teach me what I cannot see. If I have done evil, I will do so no more.' | 32Or ‘I don’t know what evil I have done—tell me. If I have done wrong, I will stop at once’? |
| 33Is it your opinion that God should recompense it, because you reject this? But you must choose, and not I, so tell us what you know. | 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. |
| 34Men of understanding say to me--any wise man listening to me says-- | 34After all, bright people will tell me, and wise people will hear me say, |
| 35that Job speaks without knowledge and his words are without understanding. | 35‘Job speaks out of ignorance; his words lack insight.’ |
| 36But Job will be tested to the end, because his answers are like those of wicked men. | 36Job, you deserve the maximum penalty for the wicked way you have talked. |
| 37For he adds transgression to his sin; in our midst he claps his hands, and multiplies his words against God." | 37For you have added rebellion to your sin; you show no respect, and you speak many angry words against God.” |
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