Job 36:18-23. Part of Elihu's speech to Job. He warns Job not to let wrath entice him to scoffing, nor to let the greatness of the ransom turn him aside. Job's cry, he says, will not keep him from distress. He shouldn't long for the night when people are cut off from each other. He warns Job not to choose iniquity "for this you have chosen rather than affliction." There is no teacher like God, and no one can prescribe His way for Him or tell Him He has done wrong.

Elihu is not wrong in what he says of God, but he is wrong in how he is being judgmental of Job. He thinks he knows Job's thoughts, and says Job is choosing iniquity. Job has defended his own righteousness to his friends, and Elihu thinks Job is being proud and not attributing righteousness to God. 

It is so easy for us to be like Elihu. We see someone suffering and we know God's ways, so we think we know why they are suffering. We attribute thoughts and motives to the person without really listening to them and giving them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they really are righteous! Maybe they have searched themselves, made atonement for anything that they have done wrong, and are still suffering for reasons unknown to them or us.

It is not up to us to explain others' suffering to them or to warn them where they might have gone wrong or might go wrong. It is only for us to listen. If we offer advice at all, it must be advice that simply points them to God and prayer, not advice that we think God would say to them. This is just our own pride, putting ourself in God's place and making our friend's suffering even worse.