Age is no guarantee of wisdom and understanding.

Elihu Is Upset with Job's Friends

1 Finally, these three men stopped arguing with Job, because he refused to admit he was guilty.

2 Elihu from Buz32.2 Elihu from Buz: The Hebrew text has “Elihu son of Barachel from Buz of the family of Ram.” Buz may have been somewhere in the territory of Edom; in Jeremiah 25.23 it is mentioned along with Dedan and Tema (see 6.19). was there, and he had become upset with Job for blaming God instead of himself. 3 He was also angry with Job's three friends for not being able to prove that Job was wrong. 4 Elihu was younger than these three, and he let them speak first. 5 But he became irritated when they could not answer Job, 6 and he said to them:

I am much younger than you, so I have shown respect by keeping silent.

7 I once believed age was the source of wisdom; 8 now I truly realize wisdom comes from God.

9 Age is no guarantee of wisdom and understanding.

10 That's why I ask you to listen to me.

I Eagerly Listened

* 11 I eagerly listened to each of your arguments, 12 but not one of you proved Job to be wrong.

13 You shouldn't say, “We know what's right!

Let God punish him.”

14 Job hasn't spoken against me, and so I won't answer him with your arguments.

15 All of you are shocked; you don't know what to say.

16 But am I to remain silent, just because you have stopped speaking?

17 No! I will give my opinion, 18 because I have so much to say, that I can't keep quiet.

19 I am like a swollen wineskin, and I will burst 32.19 swollen wineskin … burst: While the juice from grapes was becoming wine, it would swell and stretch the skins in which it had been stored; sometimes the swelling would burst the wineskins.

20 if I don't speak.

* 21 I don't know how to be unfair or to flatter anyone — 22 if I did, my Creator would quickly destroy me!