Job 32 - The Message (MSG)

Elihu Speaks

God’s Spirit Makes Wisdom Possible

32 1-5 Job’s three friends now fell silent. They were talked out, stymied because Job wouldn’t budge an inch—wouldn’t admit to an ounce of guilt. Then Elihu lost his temper. (Elihu was the son of Barakel the Buzite from the clan of Ram.) He blazed out in anger against Job for pitting his righteousness against God’s. He was also angry with the three friends because they had neither come up with an answer nor proved Job wrong. Elihu had waited with Job while they spoke because they were all older than he. But when he saw that the three other men had exhausted their arguments, he exploded with pent-up anger.

6-10 This is what Elihu, son of Barakel the Buzite, said:

“I’m a young man,
and you are all old and experienced.
That’s why I kept quiet
and held back from joining the discussion.
I kept thinking, ‘Experience will tell.
The longer you live, the wiser you become.’
But I see I was wrong—it’s God’s Spirit in a person,
the breath of the Almighty One, that makes wise human insight possible.
The experts have no corner on wisdom;
getting old doesn’t guarantee good sense.
So I’ve decided to speak up. Listen well!
I’m going to tell you exactly what I think.

11-14 “I hung on your words while you spoke,
listened carefully to your arguments.
While you searched for the right words,
I was all ears.
And now what have you proved? Nothing.
Nothing you say has even touched Job.
And don’t excuse yourselves by saying, ‘We’ve done our best.
Now it’s up to God to talk sense into him.’
Job has yet to contend with me.
And rest assured, I won’t be using your arguments!

15-22 “Do you three have nothing else to say?
Of course you don’t! You’re total frauds!
Why should I wait any longer,
now that you’re stopped dead in your tracks?
I’m ready to speak my piece. That’s right!
It’s my turn—and it’s about time!
I’ve got a lot to say,
and I’m bursting to say it.
The pressure has built up, like lava beneath the earth.
I’m a volcano ready to blow.
I have to speak—I have no choice.
I have to say what’s on my heart,
And I’m going to say it straight—
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
I was never any good at bootlicking;
my Maker would make short work of me if I started in now!”

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Job 32 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

32 And these three men cease from answering Job, for he [is] righteous in his own eyes, 2 and burn doth the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram; against Job hath his anger burned, because of his justifying himself more than God; 3 and against his three friends hath his an...
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Job 32 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

32 Forsooth these three men left off to answer Job, for he seemed a just man to them. (And then these three men gave up trying to answer Job, for he continued to see himself as a righteous, or an innocent, man.) 2 And Elihu, the son of Barachel (the) Buzite, of the kindred of Ram, was wroth, and had...
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Job 32 - World English Bible (WEB)

32 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel, the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was kindled against Job. His wrath was kindled because he justified himself rather than God. 3 Also his wrath was kindled against h...
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Job 32 - The Voice (VOICE)

32 At that point, Job’s three friends stopped responding to him because Job was quite certain of his own righteousness. 2 But someone else was there. His name was Elihu (Barachel’s son from Buz, of the family of Ram), and he was burning with anger toward Job because Job defended his righteousness r...
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Job 32 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Young Elihu Speaks32 So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite of the clan of Ram became very angry. He was angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. 3 He was also angry with his three friends because th...
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Job 32 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Elihu Rebukes Job’s Friends32 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then Eli′hu the son of Bar′achel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became angry. He was angry at Job because he justified himself rather than God; 3 he was angry also at Job’s three f...
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Job 32 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Elihu Rebukes Job’s Friends32 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then Eli′hu the son of Bar′achel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became angry. He was angry at Job because he justified himself rather than God; 3 he was angry also at Job’s three f...
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Job 32 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Elihu Rebukes Job’s Friends32 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became angry. He was angry at Job because he justified himself rather than God; 3 he was angry also at Job’s three friends...
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Job 32 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Elihu Rebukes Job’s Friends32 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became angry. He was angry at Job because he justified himself rather than God; 3 he was angry also at Job’s three friends...
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Job 32 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Elihu Rebukes Job’s Friends32 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.(A)2 Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became angry. He was angry at Job because he justified himself rather than God;(B)3 he was angry also at Job’s three frien...
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Job 32 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Elihu Responds to Job’s Friends32 Job’s three friends refused to reply further to him because he kept insisting on his innocence. 2 Then Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the clan of Ram, became angry. He was angry because Job refused to admit that he had sinned and that God was right in punishing...
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Job 32 - New Life Version (NLV)

Elihu Talks32 Then these three men stopped answering Job, because he was right and good in his own eyes. 2 But Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry. He was angry at Job because he said he was right with God. 3 And he was angry at his three friends because t...
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Job 32 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Elihu Contradicts Job’s Friends32 So these three men ceased answering Job, because he was (A)righteous in his own eyes. 2 Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the (B)Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he (C)justified himself rather than God....
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Job 32 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Elihu32 So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes. 2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. 3 He was also angry with the three friends, because they had found no way to r...
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Job 32 - New International Version (NIV)

Elihu32 So these three men stopped answering Job,(A) because he was righteous in his own eyes.(B) 2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite,(C) of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself(D) rather than God.(E) 3 He was also angry with the three friends,(F) because they had f...
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Job 32 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Speech of Elihu32 So the three men stopped answering Job, because he thought he was right. 2 But Elihu the Buzite was very angry with Job. That’s because Job said he himself was right instead of God. Elihu was the son of Barakel. He was from the family of Ram. 3 Elihu was also very angry with ...
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Job 32 - New English Translation (NET)

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