Chapter 32

¹ And his three friends also ceased any longer to answer Job: for Job was righteous before them.

² Then Elius the son of Barachiel, the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram, of the country of Ausis, was angered: and he was very angry with Job, because he justified himself before the Lord. ³ And he was also very angry with his three friends, because they were not able to return answers to Job, yet set him down for an ungodly man. ⁴ But Elius had forborne to give an answer to Job, because they were older than he. ⁵ And Elius saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men; and he was angered in his wrath. ⁶ And Elius the Buzite the son of Barachiel answered and said,

I am younger in age, and ye are elder, wherefore I kept silence, fearing to declare to

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you my own knowledge. ⁷ And I said, It is not time that speaks, though in many years men know wisdom: ⁸ but there is a spirit in mortals; and the inspiration of the Almighty is that which teaches. ⁹ The long-lived are not wise as such; neither do the aged know judgment. ¹⁰ Wherefore I said, Hear me, and I will tell you what I know.

¹¹ Hearken to my words; for I will speak in your hearing, until ye shall have tried the matter with words: ¹² and I shall understand as far as you; and, behold, there was no one of you that answered Job his words in argument, ¹³ lest ye should say, We have found that we have added wisdom to the Lord. ¹⁴ And ye have commissioned a man to speak such words.

¹⁵ They were afraid, they answered no longer; they ¹gave up their speaking. ¹⁶ I waited, (for I had not spoken,) because they stood still, they answered not. ¹⁷ And Elius continued, and said, I will again speak, ¹⁸ for I am full of words, for the spirit of my belly destroys me. ¹⁹ And my belly is as a skin of sweet wine, bound up and ²ready to burst; or as a brazier's labouring bellows. ²⁰ I will speak, that I may open my lips and relieve myself. ²¹ For truly I will not be awed because of man, nor indeed will I be confounded before a mortal. ²² For I know not how to respect persons: and if otherwise, even the moths would eat me.

Chapter 33

¹ Howbeit hear, Job, my words, and hearken to my speech. ² For behold, I have opened my mouth, and my tongue has spoken. ³ My heart shall be found pure by my words; and the understanding of my lips shall meditate purity. ⁴ The Divine Spirit is that which formed me, and the breath of the Almighty that which teaches me. ⁵ If thou canst, give me an answer: wait therefore; stand against me, and I will stand against thee. ⁶ Thou art formed out of the clay as also I: we have been formed out of the same substance. ⁷ My fear shall not terrify thee, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.

⁸ But thou hast said in mine ears, (I have heard the voice of thy words;) because thou sayest, I am pure, not having sinned; ⁹ I am blameless, for I have not transgressed. ¹⁰ Yet he has discovered a charge against me, and he has reckoned me as an adversary. ¹¹ And he has put my foot in the stocks, and has watched all my ways. ¹² For how sayest thou, I am righteous, yet he has not hearkened to me? for he that is above mortals is eternal.

¹³ But thou sayest, Why has he not heard every word of my cause? ¹⁴ For when the Lord speaks once, or a second time, ¹⁵ sending a dream, or in the meditation of the night; (as when a dreadful alarm happens to fall upon men, in slumberings on the bed:) ¹⁶ then opens he the understanding of men: he scares them with such fearful visions: ¹⁷ to turn a man from unrighteousness, and he delivers his body from a fall. ¹⁸ He spares also his soul from death, and suffers him not to fall in war.

¹⁹ And again, he chastens him with sickness on his bed, and the multitude of his bones is benumbed. ²⁰ And he shall not be able to take any food, though his soul shall desire meat; ²¹ until his flesh shall be consumed, and he shall shew his bones bare. ²² His soul also draws

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nigh to death, and his life is in Hades. ²³ Though there should be a thousand ³messengers of death, not one of them shall wound him: if he should purpose in his heart to turn to the Lord, and declare to man his fault, and shew his folly; ²⁴ he will support him, that he should not perish, and will restore his body as fresh plaster upon a wall; and he will fill his bones with morrow. ²⁵ And ⁴he will make his flesh tender as that of a babe, and he will restore him among men in his full strength. ²⁶ And he shall pray to the Lord, and his prayer shall be accepted of him; he shall enter with a cheerful countenance, with a full expression of praise: for he will render to men their due. ²⁷ Even then a man shall blame himself, saying, What kind of things have I done? and he has not ⁵punished me according to the full amount of my sins. ²⁸ Deliver my soul, that it may not go to destruction, and my life shall see the light.

²⁹ Behold, all these things, the Mighty One works in a threefold manner with a man. ³⁰ And he has delivered my soul from death, that my life may praise him in the light.

³¹ Hearken, Job, and hear me: be silent, and I will speak. ³² If thou hast words, answer me: speak, for I desire thee to be justified. ³³ If not, do thou hear me: be silent, and I will teach thee.⁶