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Then Elihu continued and said,

Furthermore Elihu answered and said,

"Hear my words, you wise men, And listen to me, you who understand.

Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

"For the ear tests words As the palate tastes food.

For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.

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

Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good.

"For Job has said, 'I am righteous, But God has taken away my right;

For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.

Should I lie about my right? My wound is incurable, though I am without wrongdoing.'

Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.

"What man is like Job, Who drinks up derision like water,

What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?

Who goes in company with the workers of injustice, And walks with wicked people?

Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.

"For he has said, 'It is of no use to a man When he becomes friends with God.'

For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.

"Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do evil, And from the Almighty to do wrong.

Therefore hearken unto me ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

"For He repays a person for his work, And lets things happen in correspondence to a man's behavior.

For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.

"God certainly will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice.

Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.

"Who gave Him authority over the earth? And who has placed the whole world on Him?

Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?

"If He were to determine to do so, If He were to gather His spirit and His breath to Himself,

If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;

Humanity would perish together, And mankind would return to dust.

All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

"But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.

If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.

"Shall one who hates justice rule? And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,

Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?

Who says to a king, 'You worthless one,' To nobles, 'You wicked one';

Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?

Who shows no partiality to the prominent, Nor regards the rich as above the poor, Since they are all the work of His hands?

How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.

"In a moment they die, and at midnight People are shaken and pass away, And the powerful are taken away without a hand.

In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.

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

For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.

"There is no darkness or deep shadow Where the workers of injustice can hide themselves.

There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

"For He does not need to consider a person further, That he should go before God in judgment.

For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God.

"He breaks in pieces the mighty without investigation, And sets others in their place.

He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.

"Therefore He knows their deeds, And He overthrows them in the night, And they are crushed.

Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.

"He strikes them like the wicked In a public place,

He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others;

Because they turned aside from following Him, And had no regard for any of His ways,

Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways:

So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him, And that He would hear the cry of the afflicted—

So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.

When He keeps quiet, who can condemn? And when He hides His face, who then can look at Him, That is, regarding both nation and a person?—

When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:

"So that godless people would not rule, Nor be snares for the people.

That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.

"For has anyone said to God, 'I have endured punishment; I will not offend anymore;

Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:

Teach me what I do not see; If I have done wrong, I will not do it again'?

That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

"Shall God repay on your terms, because you have rejected His? For you must choose, and not I; Therefore declare what you know.

Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.

"Men of understanding will say to me, And a wise man who hears me,

Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.

'Job speaks without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom.

Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom.

'Oh that Job were tested to the limit, Because he answers like sinners.

My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men.

'For he adds rebellion to his sin; He claps his hands among us, And multiplies his words against God.'"

For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.