Job 34
1 Then Elihu continued:
And Elihu made answer and said,
2 “Hear my words, O wise men; give ear to me, O men of learning.
Give ear, you wise, to my words; and you who have knowledge, give attention to me;
3 For the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food.
For words are tested by the ear, as food is tasted by the mouth.
4 Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.
Let us make the decision for ourselves as to what is right; let us have the knowledge among ourselves of what is good.
5 For Job has declared, ‘I am righteous, yet God has deprived me of justice.
For Job has said, I am upright, and it is God who has taken away my right;
6 Would I lie about my case? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
Though I am right, still I am in pain; my wound may not be made well, though I have done no wrong.
7 What man is like Job, who drinks up derision like water?
What man is like Job, a man who freely makes sport of God,
8 He keeps company with evildoers and walks with wicked men.
And goes in the company of evil-doers, walking in the way of sinners?
9 For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.’
For he has said, It is no profit to a man to take delight in God.
10 Therefore listen to me, O men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wrong, and from the Almighty to act unjustly.
Now then, you wise, take note; you men of knowledge, give ear to me. Let it be far from God to do evil, and from the Ruler of all to do wrong.
11 For according to a man’s deeds He repays him; according to a man’s ways He brings consequences.
For he gives to every man the reward of his work, and sees that he gets the fruit of his ways.
12 Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
Truly, God does not do evil, and the Ruler of all is not a false judge.
13 Who gave Him charge over the earth? Who appointed Him over the whole world?
Who put the earth into his care, or made him responsible for the world?
14 If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath,
If he made his spirit come back to him, taking his breath into himself again,
15 all flesh would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.
All flesh would come to an end together, and man would go back to the dust.
16 If you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words.
If you are wise, take note of this; give ear to the voice of my words.
17 Could one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One,
How may a hater of right be a ruler? and will you say that the upright Ruler of all is evil?
18 who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’
He who says to a king, You are an evil-doer; and to rulers, You are sinners;
19 who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.
Who has no respect for rulers, and who gives no more attention to those who have wealth than to the poor, for they are all the work of his hands.
20 They die in an instant, in the middle of the night. The people convulse and pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.
Suddenly they come to an end, even in the middle of the night: the blow comes on the men of wealth, and they are gone, and the strong are taken away without the hand of man.
21 For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step.
For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.
22 There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity can hide.
There is no dark place, and no thick cloud, in which the workers of evil may take cover.
23 For God need not examine a man further or have him approach for judgment.
For he does not give man a fixed time to come before him to be judged.
24 He shatters the mighty without inquiry and sets up others in their place.
He sends the strong to destruction without searching out their cause, and puts others in their place.
25 Therefore, He recognizes their deeds; He overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.
For he has knowledge of their works, overturning them in the night, so that they are crushed.
26 He strikes them for their wickedness in full view,
The evil-doers are broken by his wrath, he puts his hand on them with force before the eyes of all onlookers.
27 because they turned aside from Him and had no regard for any of His ways.
Because they did not go after him, and took no note of his ways,
28 They caused the cry of the poor to come before Him, and He heard the outcry of the afflicted.
So that the cry of the poor might come up to him, and the prayer of those in need come to his ears.
29 But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation,
30 that godless men should not rule or lay snares for the people.
31 Suppose someone says to God, ‘I have endured my punishment; I will offend no more.
32 Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’
33 Should God repay you on your own terms when you have disavowed His? You must choose, not I; so tell me what you know.
34 Men of understanding will declare to me, and the wise men who hear me will say:
Men of knowledge, and all wise men, hearing me, will say,
35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’
Job's words do not come from knowledge; they are not the fruit of wisdom.
36 If only Job were tried to the utmost for answering like a wicked man.
May Job be tested to the end, because his answers have been like those of evil men.
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”
For in addition to his sin, he is uncontrolled in heart; before our eyes he makes sport of God, increasing his words against him.
