1-4. Here Elihu took a deep breath, but kept going:“Stay with me a little longer. I’ll convince you.There’s still more to be said on God’s side.I learned all this firsthand from the Source;everything I know about justice I owe to my Maker himself.Trust me, I’m giving you undiluted truth;believe me, I know these things inside and out.
16-21. “Oh, Job, don’t you see how God’s wooing youfrom the jaws of danger?How he’s drawing you into wide-open places—inviting you to feast at a table laden with blessings?And here you are laden with the guilt of the wicked,obsessed with putting the blame on God!Don’t let your great riches mislead you;don’t think you can bribe your way out of this.Did you plan to buy your way out of this?Not on your life!And don’t think that night,when people sleep off their troubles,will bring you any relief.Above all, don’t make things worse with more evil—that’s what’s behind your suffering as it is!
22-25. “Do you have any idea how powerful God is?Have you ever heard of a teacher like him?Has anyone ever had to tell him what to do,or correct him, saying, ‘You did that all wrong!’?Remember, then, to praise his workmanship,which is so often celebrated in song.Everybody sees it;nobody is too far away to see it.