Job 32

Berean Standard Bible

Chapter summary

Because Job considered himself righteous, his three friends stopped answering him, which provoked the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite. Elihu was angry with Job for justifying himself instead of God, and with the three friends because they condemned Job without being able to refute his arguments. Having waited to speak because he was younger than the others, Elihu observed their silence and prepared to address the group. He explained that wisdom comes from the breath of the Almighty rather than age alone, and he criticized the friends for failing to answer Job. Feeling compelled to speak and comparing his words to unvented wine ready to burst a new wineskin, Elihu announced that he would respond without showing partiality or flattering anyone.

Summary automatically generated from the Bible text.

Words of Jesus in red

¹So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. ²This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram. He burned with anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God, ³and he burned with anger against Job’s three friends because they had failed to refute Job, and yet had condemned him. ⁴Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because the others were older than he. ⁵But when he saw that the three men had no further reply, his anger was kindled. ⁶So Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite declared: “I am young in years, while you are old; that is why I was timid and afraid to tell you what I know. ⁷I thought that age should speak, and many years should teach wisdom. ⁸But there is a spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. ⁹It is not only the old who are wise, or the elderly who understand justice. ¹⁰Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me; I too will declare what I know.’ ¹¹Indeed, I waited while you spoke; I listened to your reasoning; as you searched for words, ¹²I paid you full attention. But no one proved Job wrong; not one of you rebutted his arguments. ¹³So do not claim, ‘We have found wisdom; let God, not man, refute him.’ ¹⁴But Job has not directed his words against me, and I will not answer him with your arguments. ¹⁵Job’s friends are dismayed, with no more to say; words have escaped them. ¹⁶Must I wait, now that they are silent, now that they stand and no longer reply? ¹⁷I too will answer; yes, I will declare what I know. ¹⁸For I am full of words, and my spirit within me compels me. ¹⁹Behold, my belly is like unvented wine; it is about to burst like a new wineskin. ²⁰I must speak and find relief; I must open my lips and respond. ²¹I will be partial to no one, nor will I flatter any man. ²²For I do not know how to flatter, or my Maker would remove me in an instant.

Test this chapter

Louis Segond 1910 and Berean Standard Bible: public domain. Cross references: open-cross-ref, Creative Commons BY 4.0.