1 T hen Elihu said,

2 “ Do you think this is right? Do you say, ‘I am more right than God’?

3 F or you ask, ‘What will You get by it? How will it be better for me than if I had sinned?’

4 I will answer you, and your friends with you.

5 L ook at the heavens and see. See the clouds which are higher than you.

6 I f you have sinned, what does that do to God? If you have done many wrongs, what does that do to Him?

7 I f you are right and good, what do you give to Him? What does He receive from you?

8 Y our wrong-doing may hurt another man and your being right and good may help him.

9 “ People cry out because of their many hard times. They cry for help because of the arm of the powerful.

10 B ut no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night,

11 W ho teaches us more than the animals of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’

12 T here they cry out, but He does not answer because of the pride of sinful men.

13 F or sure God will not listen to an empty cry. The All-powerful will not do anything about it.

14 H ow much less when you say you do not see Him, that your trial is before Him, and you must wait for Him!

15 A nd now, because God has not punished in His anger, and does not watch for sin,

16 J ob opens his mouth with empty talk. He speaks many words without much learning.”