WHEREFORE, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches, and hearken to all my words.
2 Behold, now I have opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth.
3 My words shall be of the uprightness of my heart: and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.
4 The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
5 If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me, stand up.
6 Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay.
7 Behold, my terror shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.
8 Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,
9 I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.
10 Behold, he findeth occasions against me, he counteth me for his enemy,
11 He putteth my feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths.
12 Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.
13 Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters.
14 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.
15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;
16 Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,
17 That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.
18 He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.
19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain:
20 So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.
21 His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.
22 Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.
23 If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:
24 Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.
25 His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s: he shall return to the days of his youth:
26 He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.
27 He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not;
28 He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.
29 Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man,
30 To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.
31 Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I will speak.
32 If thou hast any thing to say, answer me: speak, for I desire to justify thee.
33 If not, hearken unto me: hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom.

1Wherefore, Iob, I pray thee, heare my speeches, and hearken to all my wordes.

2Behold, now I haue opened my mouth, my tongue hath spoken in my mouth.

3My words shalbe of the vprightnesse of my heart: and my lippes shall vtter knowledge clearely.

4The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almightie hath giuen me life.

5If thou canst, answere me, set thy wordes in order before me, stand vp.

6Behold, I am according to thy wish in Gods stead: I also am formed out of the clay.

7Behold, my terrour shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heauie vpon thee.

8Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I haue heard the voice of thy words, saying,

9I am cleane without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquitie in me.

10Behold, hee findeth occasions against mee, hee counteth mee for his enemie.

11He putteth my feete in the stockes, he marketh all my pathes.

12Behold, in this thou art not iust: I will answere thee, That God is greater then man.

13Why doest thou striue against him? for he giueth not account of any of his matters.

14For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiueth it not.

15In a dreame, in a vision of the night, when deepe sleepe falleth vpon men, in slumbrings vpon the bed:

16Then hee openeth the eares of men, and sealeth their instruction,

17That hee may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

18Hee keepeth backe his soule from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.

19Hee is chastened also with paine vpon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong paine.

20So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soule daintie meate.

21His flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seene; and his bones that were not seene, sticke out.

22His soule draweth neere vnto the graue, and his life to the destroyers.

23If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew vnto man his vprightnesse:

24Then hee is gracious vnto him, and sayth, Deliuer him from going downe to the pit; I haue found a ransome.

25His flesh shall be fresher then a childes: he shall returne to the dayes of his youth.

26He shall pray vnto God, and hee will be fauourable vnto him, and hee shall see his face with ioy: for hee will render vnto man his righteousnesse.

27He looketh vpon men, and if any say, I haue sinned, and peruerted that which was right, and it profited mee not:

28Hee will deliuer his soule from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.

29Loe, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man,

30To bring backe his soule from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the liuing.

31Marke well, O Iob, hearken vnto me, hold thy peace, and I wil speake.

32If thou hast any thing to say, answere me: speake, for I desire to iustifie thee.

33If not, hearken vnto me: holde thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisedome.

 

 

IV == Gen 2:7

 

 

 

 

 

VI == Job 9:34-35 ; 13:20-21 ; 31:35

VII == Job 9:34 ; 13:21

 

 

 

IX == Job 9:17 ; 10:7 ; 11:4 ; 16:17 ; 23:10-11 ; 27:5 ; 29:14 ; 31:1

X == Job 13:24 ; 16:9 ; 19:11

XI == Job 13:27 ; 14:16 ; 31:4

XIII == Isa 45:9

 

XIV == Job 40:5 ; Ps 62:11

XV == Num 12:6 ; Job 4:13

 

XVI == Job 36:10 , 15

 

 

 

 

 

XX == Ps 107:18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXVII == 2nd Sam 12:13 ; Prov 28:13 ; Luke 15:21 ; Rom 6:21 ; 1st John 1:9

 

XXVIII == Isa 38:17

 

XXX == JOb 33:28 ; Ps 56:13

 

 

 

XXXIII == Ps 34:11

1 Therefore, O Job, hear my discourse, and hearken to all my words.

2 Behold, now I open my mouth; my tongue and my voice form words.

3 I will state directly what is in my mind, my lips shall utter knowledge sincerely;

4 For the spirit of God has made me, the breath of the Almighty keeps me alive.

5 If you are able, refute me; draw up your arguments and stand forth.

6 Behold I, like yourself, have been taken from the same clay by God.

7 Therefore no fear of me should dismay you, nor should my presence weigh heavily upon you.

8 But you have said in my hearing, as I listened to the sound of your words:

9 "I am clean and without transgression; I am innocent; there is no guilt in me.

10 Yet he invents pretexts against me and reckons me as his enemy.

11 He puts my feet in the stocks; he watches all my ways!"

12 In this you are not just, let me tell you; for God is greater than man.

13 Why, then, do you make complaint against him that he gives no account of his doings?

14 For God does speak, perhaps once, or even twice, though one perceive it not.

15 In a dream, in a vision of the night, (when deep sleep falls upon men) as they slumber in their beds,

16 It is then he opens the ears of men and as a warning to them, terrifies them;

17 By turning man from evil and keeping pride away from him,

18 He withholds his soul from the pit and his life from passing to the grave.

19 Or a man is chastened on his bed by pain and unceasing suffering within his frame,

20 So that to his appetite food becomes repulsive, and his senses reject the choicest nourishment.

21 His flesh is wasted so that it cannot be seen, and his bones, once invisible, appear;

22 His soul draws near to the pit, his life to the place of the dead.

23 If then there be for him an angel, one out of a thousand, a mediator, To show him what is right for him and bring the man back to justice,

24 He will take pity on him and say, "Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found him a ransom."

25 Then his flesh shall become soft as a boy's; he shall be again as in the days of his youth.

26 He shall pray and God will favor him; he shall see God's face with rejoicing.

27 He shall sing before men and say, "I sinned and did wrong, yet he has not punished me accordingly.

28 He delivered my soul from passing to the pit, and I behold the light of life."

29 Lo, all these things God does, twice, or thrice, for a man,

30 Bringing back his soul from the pit to the light, in the land of the living.

31 Be attentive, O Job; listen to me! Be silent and I will speak.

32 If you have aught to say, then answer me. Speak out! I should like to see you justified.

33 If not, then do you listen to me; be silent while I teach you wisdom.

v 1-5. Chapter 32 was addressed to all four, but this chapter is addressed to Job. Elihu challenged Job to listen because God had inspired him to speak. Then he challenged Job to prepare an answer, to be ready to debate him.

 

 

 

v 6,7. In 4:13-15 Eliphaz tried to terrorize Job, but Elihu said he and Job were both made of clay, and he would not use that tactic on him.

v 8-11. Elihu had listened carefully and quotes the very words he had used in his arguments, stating his innocence and criticizing God for being unfair.

 

 

 

 

v 12-18. He says God is not accountable to us, so it was wrong of Job to contend with Him. God has answered more than once through dreams and night visions. First, God seals, ie terrifies men with warnings, so that he may be informed, turned from pride (of which he thought Job was guilty 36:9), and saved from destruction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

v 19-22. Second, God gets people’s attention through pain. Job’s emaciated condition was an example of how one may be brought near death.

 

 

 

 

v 23,24. Third, Eliphaz had said no angels could help Job, 5:1 and Job had said there was no mediator, 9:33, but Elihu says God does provide a messenger to show man how to live before God and show him the way of redemption. Elihu refers to himself as the messenger to Job, but the inspiration of God goes further and speaks of Christ as both the Messenger of salvation and the Redeemer.

v 25-28. Elihu speaks in such a way that his reference is to Job, whose flesh could be restored and himself restored into right standing with God. He must repent of rebuking God, confess that he has justified himself before God, and his punishment is what he deserves. Then he will have a closer walk with God.

 

 

v 29,30. God often brings these hardships upon man to preserve them from death or to restore them to a more fruitful life, to teach him.

v 31-33. Elihu wants Job to be justified, not condemned, so If Job has anything to say, say it, but if not, he will continue to teach wisdom.