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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Job 32

Suffering, protest, limited human knowledge, friendship, and encounter with the sovereign God.

Old Testament

Job 32

1So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

2Then 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.

3Also his wrath was kindled against his three friends, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.

4Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job, because they were older than he.

5When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was kindled.

6Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered, “I am young, and you are very old. Therefore I held back, and didn’t dare show you my opinion.

7I said, ‘Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.’

8But there is a spirit in man, and the Spirit of the Almighty gives them understanding.

9It is not the great who are wise, nor the aged who understand justice.

10Therefore I said, ‘Listen to me; I also will show my opinion.’

11“Behold, I waited for your words, and I listened for your reasoning, while you searched out what to say.

12Yes, I gave you my full attention, but there was no one who convinced Job, or who answered his words, among you.

13Beware lest you say, ‘We have found wisdom. God may refute him, not man;’

14for he has not directed his words against me; neither will I answer him with your speeches.

15“They are amazed. They answer no more. They don’t have a word to say.

16Shall I wait, because they don’t speak, because they stand still, and answer no more?

17I also will answer my part, and I also will show my opinion.

18For I am full of words. The spirit within me constrains me.

19Behold, my breast is as wine which has no vent; like new wineskins it is ready to burst.

20I will speak, that I may be refreshed. I will open my lips and answer.

21Please don’t let me respect any man’s person, neither will I give flattering titles to any man.

22For I don’t know how to give flattering titles, or else my Maker would soon take me away.

READ IN CONTEXT

Before applying this chapter

Suffering, protest, limited human knowledge, friendship, and encounter with the sovereign God. Read Job 32 within the complete Job overview, and use the contextual Bible reading guide before forming a personal application. Chapter divisions aid navigation, but the literary unit may begin earlier or continue into the next chapter.

Observe first

Mark repeated words, changes of speaker, commands, promises, contrasts, questions, and the relationship between paragraphs.

Apply responsibly

Distinguish description from command and immediate audience from later readers before forming a personal application.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Job 32

Job 32 contains 22 verses and about 355 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 22 closes: “For I don’t know how to give flattering titles, or else my Maker would soon take me away.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include answer, will, wrath, elihu, kindled, speak. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Job 32

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Job 32:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

A SMALL NEXT STEP

You do not have to have everything figured out.

Begin with one honest question, one passage read carefully, and one faithful next step.

Start with prayer