Study Desk

And Job again took up his discussion and said,

When His lamp shone upon my head And by His light I walked through darkness;

"And I smashed the jaws of the wicked And snatched the prey from his teeth.

"I chose a way for them and sat as chief, And dwelt as a king among his soldiers, As one who comforts mourners.

"For God has loosed His bowstring [attacking me] and [He has] afflicted and humbled me; They have cast off the bridle [of restraint] before me.

"However, does not one falling in a heap of ruins stretch out his hand? Or in his disaster [will he not] therefore cry out for help?

"If my heart has been enticed and I was made a fool by a woman, Or if I have [covetously] lurked at my neighbor's door [until his departure],

If his loins have not thanked and blessed me [for clothing them], And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep,

"For tragedy from God is a terror to me, And because of His majesty and exaltation I can do nothing [nor endure facing Him].

"No, I have not allowed my mouth to sin By cursing my enemy and asking for his life.

"I assure you, the men of my tent have said, 'Who can find one [in need] who has not been satisfied with his meat'?

"Oh, that I had one to listen to me! Look, here is my signature (mark); Let the Almighty answer me! Let my adversary write out His indictment [and put His vague accusations in tangible form].

"I would count out to Him the number of my steps [with every detail of my life], Approaching His presence as if I were a prince.

Let thorns grow instead of wheat, And stinkweed and cockleburs instead of barley." So the words of Job [with his friends] are finished.

So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes [and could not be persuaded otherwise by them].

But Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became indignant. His indignation was kindled and burned and he became upset with Job because he justified himself rather than God [and even expressed doubts about God's character].

Elihu's anger burned against Job's three friends because they had found no answer [and were unable to determine Job's error], and yet they had condemned Job and declared him to be in the wrong [and responsible for his own afflictions].

"I even paid close attention to [what] you [said], Indeed, not one of you convinced Job [nor could you refute him], Not one of you supplied [satisfactory] answers to his words.

"Now Job has not directed his words against me [therefore I have no reason to be offended], Nor will I answer him with arguments like yours. [I speak for truth, not for revenge.]

'Behold, God finds pretexts against me; He counts me as His enemy.