1 Elihu said:
2 Job, are you really innocentin the sight of God?
3 Don't you honestly believeit pays to obey him?
4 I will give the answersto you and your friends.*
5 Look up to the heavens
6 and think!Do your sins hurt God?
7 Is any good you may have doneat all helpful to him?
8 The evil or good you doonly affects other humans.
9 In times of trouble,everyone begs the mighty Godto have mercy.
10 But after their Creatorhelps them through hard times,they forget about him,
11 though he makes us wiserthan animals or birds.
12 God won't listen to the prayersof proud and evil people.
13 If God All-Powerful refusesto answer their empty prayers,
14 he will surely denyyour impatient requestto face him in court.
15 Job, you were wrong to sayGod doesn't punish sin.
16 Everything you have saidadds up to nonsense.