1: Elihu continued:
2: "So, my fine friends--listen to me, and see what you think of this.
3: Isn't it just common sense--as common as the sense of taste--
4: To put our heads together and figure out what's going on here?
5: "We've all heard Job say, "I'm in the right, but God won't give me a fair trial.
6: When I defend myself, I'm called a liar to my face. I've done nothing wrong, and I get punished anyway.'
7: Have you ever heard anything to beat this? Does nothing faze this man Job?
8: Do you think he's spent too much time in bad company, hanging out with the wrong crowd,
9: So that now he's parroting their line: "It doesn't pay to try to please God'?
10: "You're veterans in dealing with these matters; certainly we're of one mind on this. It's impossible for God to do anything evil; no way can the Mighty One do wrong.
11: He makes us pay for exactly what we've done--no more, no less. Our chickens always come home to roost.
12: It's impossible for God to do anything wicked, for the Mighty One to subvert justice.
13: He's the one who runs the earth! He cradles the whole world in his hand!
14: If he decided to hold his breath,
15: every man, woman, and child would die for lack of air.
16: "So, Job, use your head; this is all pretty obvious.
17: Can someone who hates order, keep order? Do you dare condemn the righteous, mighty God?
18: Doesn't God always tell it like it is, exposing corrupt rulers as scoundrels and criminals?
19: Does he play favorites with the rich and famous and slight the poor? Isn't he equally responsible to everybody?
20: Don't people who deserve it die without notice? Don't wicked rulers tumble to their doom? When the so-called great ones are wiped out, we know God is working behind the scenes.
21: "He has his eyes on every man and woman. He doesn't miss a trick.
22: There is no night dark enough, no shadow deep enough, to hide those who do evil.
23: God doesn't need to gather any more evidence; their sin is an open-and-shut case.
24: He deposes the so-called high and mighty without asking questions, and replaces them at once with others.
25: Nobody gets by with anything; overnight, judgment is signed, sealed, and delivered.
26: He punishes the wicked for their wickedness out in the open where everyone can see it,
27: Because they quit following him, no longer even thought about him or his ways.
28: Their apostasy was announced by the cry of the poor; the cry of the afflicted got God's attention. Because You Refuse to Live on God's Terms
29: "If God is silent, what's that to you? If he turns his face away, what can you do about it? But whether silent or hidden, he's there, ruling,
30: so that those who hate God won't take over and ruin people's lives.
31: "So why don't you simply confess to God? Say, "I sinned, but I'll sin no more.
32: Teach me to see what I still don't see. Whatever evil I've done, I'll do it no more.'
33: Just because you refuse to live on God's terms, do you think he should start living on yours? You choose. I can't do it for you. Tell me what you decide.
34: "All right-thinking people say--and the wise who have listened to me concur--
35: "Job is an ignoramus. He talks utter nonsense.'
36: Job, you need to be pushed to the wall and called to account for wickedly talking back to God the way you have.
37: You've compounded your original sin by rebelling against God's discipline, Defiantly shaking your fist at God, piling up indictments against the Almighty One." Elihu's Third Speech When God Makes Creation a Classroom