¹For the  ²wrath of God is revealed from heaven  ³upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who  ⁴hold down  ⁵the truth in unrighteousness,

Because that which is known of God is manifest  ¹within them, for God manifested it to them.

For the invisible things of Him, both His eternal power and  ¹divine characteristics, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world,  ²being perceived by the things made, so that they would be without excuse;

Because though  ¹they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or thank Him, but rather became  ²vain in their reasonings, and their heart, lacking understanding, was darkened.

Professing to be wise, they became fools

And  ¹changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and reptiles.

Therefore God  ¹gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, so that they dishonor their bodies among themselves,

Who exchanged the  ¹truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Therefore God gave them up to passions of dishonor; for their females exchanged the natural use for that which is contrary to nature;

And likewise also the males, leaving the natural use of the female, burned in their craving toward one another, males with males committing unseemliness and fully receiving in themselves the retribution of their error which was due.

And even as they did not approve of holding God in their full knowledge, God gave them up to a disapproved mind, to do the things which are not fitting,

Being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity;

Whisperers, slanderers, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Senseless, faithless, affectionless, merciless;

Who, though fully knowing the  ¹righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do them, but also have fellow delight in those who practice them.

And the  ¹anger of  ²Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was kindled. Against Job was his anger kindled because he justified himself rather than God;

And against his three friends was his anger kindled because they had found no answer but had condemned Job.

Now Elihu had waited to speak with Job, because they were older than he.

But when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, his anger was kindled.

So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said,
I am young,
And you are aged;
Therefore I shrank back and was afraid
To declare to you what I know.

I said, Let age speak,
And let the multitude of years make wisdom known.

But  ¹there is a  ²spirit in man,
And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding.

It is not the great who are wise,
Nor the old who understand justice.

Therefore I say, Hear me;
I also will declare what I  ¹know.

Indeed, I have waited out your words;
I have given ear to your reasonings,
While you searched for what to say.

Indeed I gave you my full attention;
But no one here could refute Job;
None of you answered his words.

Do not say, We have found wisdom;
God will defeat him, not man.

But he did not arrange his words against me;
Neither will I respond to him with your speeches.

They are dismayed; they answer no more;
Words fail them.

Then should I wait? For they do not speak,
For they stand still; they answer no more.

I also will answer what has been apportioned to me;
I also will declare what I know.

For I am full of words;
The spirit in my inward parts constrains me.

Indeed, my inward parts are like wine that is not vented;
Like new wineskins, they are about to burst.

Let me speak, that there may be relief for me;
Let me open my lips and answer.

Let me not, I beg you, respect any man's person,
Nor flatter any man;

For I do not know how to flatter —
My Maker would soon bear me off.

But now, Job, hear my speaking,
And give ear to all my words.

Indeed now, I have opened my mouth;
My tongue has spoken in my mouth.

My words manifest the uprightness of my heart,
And what my lips know they speak sincerely.

The Spirit of God has made me,
And the breath of the Almighty has enlivened me.

If you can, respond to me;
Arrange your words before me; take your stand.

Indeed, I am before God as you are;
I too was cut out of clay.

So no fear of me can terrify you,
Nor can my pressure be heavy upon you.

You have surely spoken in my hearing,
And I have heard the voice of your words, saying,

I am clean and without transgression;
I am pure, and there is no iniquity in me.

See, He finds occasions for hostility against me;
He considers me as His enemy.

He puts my feet in stocks;
He watches all my paths.

However, in this you are not right, I will answer you,
For God is greater than man.

Why do you contend with Him,
Saying that He does not answer for any of His affairs?

For God speaks in one way,
Indeed in two ways, without any perceiving it —

In a dream, a night vision,
When deep sleep falls upon men
In the slumberings upon their beds —

Then He opens the ears of men
And seals up their instruction,

That He may turn man aside from his doing
And hide pride from man.

He keeps his soul from the pit,
And his life from perishing by the sword.

He is also chastened with pain upon his bed
And with continual strife in his bones,

So that his life abhors bread,
And his soul, fancy food.

His flesh is so consumed that it cannot be seen,
And his bones that had not been seen stick out.

And his soul draws near to the pit,
And his life, to the destroyers.

If there is with him an angel,
An interpreter, one of a thousand,
To declare to man what is right for him,

Then He will be gracious to him and will say,
Redeem him from going down into the pit;
I have found a ransom.

His flesh will be fresher than in childhood;
He will return to the days of his youth.

He will pray to God, and He will accept him,
So that he sees His face with joyous shouting;
And  ¹God restores to man his righteousness.

He will sing to men and say,
I sinned and perverted what was right,
But it was not paid back to me.

He has redeemed my soul from perishing in the pit,
And my life will see the light.

Indeed, all these things God accomplishes for a man,
Twice, even three times,

To bring his soul back from the pit,
To enlighten him with the light of the living.

Take heed, Job; hear me.
Be silent, and I will speak.

If you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for I desire to justify you.

If not, you listen to me;
Be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.

Then Elihu continued and said,

Hear my words, you wise men;
And you who know, give ear to me.

For the ear tries words
As the palate tastes food.

Let us choose for ourselves what is right;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.

For Job has said, I am righteous,
And God has  ¹taken away my right;

Should I lie against my right?
My arrow wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.

What man is like Job,
Who drinks up scoffing like water,

Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity
And walks with wicked men?

For he has said, It does not profit a man
To delight himself in God.

Therefore, you men of understanding, hear me:
Far be it from God that He would do evil,
And from the Almighty that He would commit iniquity.

For He will render a man's work to him
And will cause a man to find that which is according to his own way.

Indeed in all certainty God will not do evil,
And the Almighty will not pervert justice.

Who has ever put the earth in His charge?
Or who has ever set in order the whole world?

If He were to consider Himself only,
He would gather back to Himself His spirit and His breath;

All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.

If then you have understanding, hear this;
Give ear to the voice of my words.

Shall one who hates justice govern?
And will you condemn the just and mighty One,

He who says to a king, You worthless one!
And to nobles, You wicked one!

He who does not respect the persons of princes,
Nor regard the rich man more than the poor,
For they are all the work of His hands?

In a moment they die, and in the middle of the night
The people are shaken, and they pass away;
And the mighty are taken away, but by no human hand.

For His eyes are upon the ways of a man,
And He sees all his steps.

There is no darkness and no shadow of death
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

For He does not need to consider a man further,
That he should go to God in litigation.

He breaks mighty men in pieces without inquiry
And puts others in their stead.

Hence He knows their actions,
And He overturns them in the night so that they are crushed.

He strikes them as He would evil men,
In a place where all can see;

Because they turned aside from following after Him
And would not regard any of His ways,

So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him,
And He heard the cry of the afflicted.

When He is silent, who can condemn Him?
When He hides His face, who can behold Him?
He does so toward a nation and toward a man alike,

That no profane man would reign, that there would be no snares for the
people.

For has anyone ever said to God,
I have borne chastisement; I will offend no more;

What I do not see teach me;
If I have committed iniquity, I will do it no more?

Should He recompense to fit you, since you have rejected it?
For you must choose, and not I.
So speak what you know.

Men of understanding will say to me,
As well as the man of wisdom who hears me,

Job has spoken without knowledge,
And his words are without insight.

I wish that Job were tried to the limit
Because of his answering like evil men.

For he adds  ¹rebellion to his sin;
Among us he  ²claps his hands
And multiplies his words against God.