Job 35

1 Moreover Elihu answered,

And Elihu answereth and saith: —

2 “Do you think this to be your right, or do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s,’

This hast thou reckoned for judgment: Thou hast said — 'My righteousness [is] more than God's?'

3 that you ask, ‘What advantage will it be to you? What profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’

For thou sayest, 'What doth it profit Thee! What do I profit from my sin?'

4 I will answer you, and your companions with you.

I return thee words, and thy friends with thee,

5 Look to the skies, and see. See the skies, which are higher than you.

Behold attentively the heavens — and see, And behold the clouds, They have been higher than thou.

6 If you have sinned, what effect do you have against him? If your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?

If thou hast sinned, what dost thou against Him? And thy transgressions have been multiplied, What dost thou to Him?

7 If you are righteous, what do you give him? Or what does he receive from your hand?

If thou hast been righteous, What dost thou give to Him? Or what from thy hand doth He receive?

8 Your wickedness may hurt a man as you are, and your righteousness may profit a son of man.

For a man like thyself [is] thy wickedness, And for a son of man thy righteousness.

9 “By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out. They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty.

Because of the multitude of oppressions They cause to cry out, They cry because of the arm of the mighty.

10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night,

And none said, 'Where [is] God my maker? Giving songs in the night,

11 who teaches us more than the animals of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?’

Teaching us more than the beasts of the earth, Yea, than the fowl of the heavens He maketh us wiser.'

12 There they cry, but no one answers, because of the pride of evil men.

There they cry, and He doth not answer, Because of the pride of evil doers.

13 Surely God will not hear an empty cry, neither will the Almighty regard it.

Surely vanity God doth not hear, And the Mighty doth not behold it.

14 How much less when you say you do not see him. The cause is before him, and you wait for him!

Yea, though thou sayest thou dost not behold Him, Judgment [is] before Him, and stay for Him.

15 But now, because he has not visited in his anger, neither does he greatly regard arrogance,

And, now, because there is not, He hath appointed His anger, And He hath not known in great extremity.

16 therefore Job opens his mouth with empty talk, and he multiplies words without knowledge.”

And Job [with] vanity doth open his mouth, Without knowledge words he multiplieth.