Job 34
1 Moreover Elihu answered, and said,
And Elihu answereth and saith:
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 doth try words, And the palate tasteth to eat.
4 Let us choose for us that which is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good.
Judgment let us choose 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 hath said, 'I have been righteous, And God hath 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? Mortal [is] mine arrow — without transgression.'
7 What man is like Job, who drinks up scorning like water,
Who [is] a man like Job? He drinketh 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 hath travelled 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 hath said, 'It doth not profit a man, When he delighteth 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, hearken 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 the work of man he repayeth to him, And according to the path of each He doth cause him to find.
12 Yea, certainly God will not do wrong. Neither will the Almighty pervert justice.
Yea, truly, God doth not do wickedly, And the Mighty doth not pervert judgment.
13 Who gave him a charge over the earth? Or who has disposed the whole world?
Who hath inspected for Himself the earth? And who hath 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 doth set on him His heart, His spirit and his breath unto Him He gathereth.
15 all flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again to dust.
Expire doth all flesh together, And man to dust returneth.
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,
Yea, doth one hating justice govern? Or the Most Just dost thou condemn?
18 him who says to a king, Thou are vile, to ranking men, Ye are wicked,
Who hath said to a king — 'Worthless,' Unto 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 hath not accepted the person of princes, Nor hath known the rich before the poor, For a work of His hands [are] all of them.
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 Shake do people, 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 all his steps He doth see.
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 doth not suffer man any more, To go unto God in judgment,
24 He breaks in pieces mighty men in ways past finding out, and sets others in their stead.
He breaketh the mighty — no searching! And He appointeth 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 knoweth their works, And He hath overturned by night, And they are bruised.
26 He strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others
As wicked He hath stricken 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 none of His ways have considered wisely,
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 in unto Him The cry of the poor, And the cry of the afflicted He heareth.
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 giveth rest, and who maketh wrong? And hideth the face, and who beholdeth 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 unto God hath any said: 'I have taken away, I do not 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, shew Thou me, If iniquity I have done — 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.
By thee doth He recompense, That thou hast refused — That thou dost choose, and not I? And what thou hast 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 hearkening to me.
35 Job speaks without knowledge, and his words are without wisdom.
Job — not with knowledge doth he speak, 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 — unto 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 doth add to his sin, Transgression among us he vomiteth, And multiplieth his sayings to God.
