Job 34
1 Moreover Elihu answered, and said,
And Elihu answers and says:
2 Hear my words, ye wise men, and give ear to me, ye who have knowledge.
“Hear, O wise men, my words, And, O knowing ones, give ear to me.
3 For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food.
For the ear tries words, And the palate tastes to eat.
4 Let us choose for us that which is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good.
Let us choose judgment for ourselves, Let us know among ourselves what [is] good.
5 For Job has said, I am righteous, and God has taken away my right.
For Job has said, I have been righteous, And God has turned aside my right,
6 Notwithstanding my right I am accounted a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.
Against my right do I lie? My arrow [is] mortal—without transgression.
7 What man is like Job, who drinks up scorning like water,
Who [is] a man like Job? He drinks scoffing like water,
8 saying, I have not sinned, nor committed unrighteousness, nor had fellowship with workers of iniquity to go with the profane.
And he has traveled for company With workers of iniquity, So as to go with men of wickedness.
9 For thou should not say, There shall be no visitation to a man, whereas visitation is to him from the Lord.
For he has said, It does not profit a man When he delights himself with God.
10 Therefore hearken to me, ye men of understanding. Far be it from me to sin before the Lord, and pervert righteousness before the Almighty.
Therefore, O men of heart, listen to me; Far be it from God to do wickedness, And [from] the Mighty to do perverseness,
11 For the work of a man he will render to him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
For He repays the work of man to him, And according to the path of each He causes him to find.
12 Yea, certainly God will not do wrong. Neither will the Almighty pervert justice.
Indeed, truly, God does not do wickedly, And the Mighty does not pervert judgment.
13 Who gave him a charge over the earth? Or who has disposed the whole world?
Who has inspected for Himself the earth? And who has placed all the habitable world?
14 If he sets his heart upon himself, if he gathers his spirit and his breath to himself,
If He sets His heart on him, [If] He gathers His Spirit and His breath to Himself,
15 all flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again to dust.
All flesh expires together, And man returns to dust.
16 If now thou be understanding, hear this. Hearken to the voice of words.
And if [there is] understanding, hear this, Give ear to the voice of my words.
17 Behold thou him who hates lawlessness, and who destroys evil men, who is forever righteousness,
Indeed, does one hating justice govern? Or do you condemn the Most Just?
18 him who says to a king, Thou are vile, to ranking men, Ye are wicked,
Who has said to a king, Worthless, To princes, Wicked?
19 who does not respect the persons of rulers, nor regards the rich more than the poor. For they all are the work of his hands.
That has not accepted the person of princes, Nor has known the rich before the poor, For all of them [are] a work of His hands.
20 In a moment they die, even at midnight. The people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away without hand.
[In] a moment they die, And at midnight people shake, And they pass away, And they remove the mighty without hand.
21 For his eyes are upon the ways of a man, and he sees all his goings.
For His eyes [are] on the ways of each, And He sees all his steps.
22 There is no darkness, nor thick gloom where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
There is no darkness nor death-shade, For workers of iniquity to be hidden there;
23 For he needs no further to consider a man, that he should go before God in judgment.
For He does not permit man anymore, To go to God in judgment,
24 He breaks in pieces mighty men in ways past finding out, and sets others in their stead.
He breaks the mighty—no searching! And He appoints others in their stead.
25 Therefore he takes knowledge of their works, and he overturns them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
Therefore He knows their works, And He has overturned by night, And they are bruised.
26 He strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others
As wicked He has struck them, In the place of beholders.
27 because they turned aside from following him, and would not have regard in any of his ways,
Because that against right They have turned aside from after Him, And have considered none of His ways,
28 so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him, and he heard the cry of the afflicted.
To cause to come to Him The cry of the poor, And He hears the cry of the afflicted.
29 When he gives quietness, who then can condemn? And when he hides his face, who then can behold him? It is the same whether to a nation, or to a man,
And He gives rest, and who makes wrong? And hides the face, and who beholds it? And in reference to a nation and to a man, [It is] the same.
30 that the profane man not reign, that there be none to ensnare the people.
From the reigning of a profane man, From the snares of a people;
31 For has any said to God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more.
For has any said to God: I have taken away, I do not do corruptly,
32 Teach thou me that which I do not see. If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more?
Besides [that which] I see, You show me, If I have done iniquity—I do not add?
33 Shall his recompense be as thou desire, that thou refuse it? For thou must choose, and not I. Therefore speak what thou know.
Does He repay by you, that you have refused—That you choose, and not I? And what you have known, speak.
34 Men of understanding will say to me, yes, every wise man who hears me,
Let men of heart say to me, And a wise man is listening to me:
35 Job speaks without knowledge, and his words are without wisdom.
Job—he does not speak with knowledge, And his words [are] not with wisdom.
36 But surely not. Learn thou Job not to still give an answer like the foolish,
My Father! Let Job be tried—to victory, Because of answers for men of iniquity,
37 so that we may not add to our sins, and lawlessness will be reckoned against us, speaking many words before the Lord.
For he adds to his sin, He vomits transgression among us, And multiplies his sayings to God.”
