Job 34
1 Then Elihu continued:
Furthermore Elihu responded, and said: —
2 “Hear my words, O wise men; give ear to me, O men of learning.
Hear, ye wise men, my words, and, ye who know, give ear unto me;
3 For the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food.
For, the ear, trieth words, as, the palate, tasteth in eating.
4 Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.
What is right, let us choose for ourselves, Let us know, among ourselves, what is good;
5 For Job has declared, ‘I am righteous, yet God has deprived me of justice.
For Job hath said—I am righteous, But, GOD, hath turned away my right;
6 Would I lie about my case? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
Concerning mine own right, shall I tell a falsehood? Incurable is my disease—not for any transgression.
7 What man is like Job, who drinks up derision like water?
What man is like Job? He drinketh in scoffing like water;
8 He keeps company with evildoers and walks with wicked men.
And is on the way to keep company, with the workers of iniquity, and to walk with lawless men.
9 For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.’
For he hath said, It profiteth not a man, when, his good pleasure, is with 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.
Wherefore, ye men of mind, hearken unto me, —Far be it, that, GOD, should be lawless, or, the Almighty, be perverse!
11 For according to a man’s deeds He repays him; according to a man’s ways He brings consequences.
For, what any son of earth doeth, he repayeth him, and, according to every man’s course, he causeth him to find.
12 Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
Nay, verily, GOD, will not condemn unjustly, —nor, the Almighty, pervert justice.
13 Who gave Him charge over the earth? Who appointed Him over the whole world?
Who set him in charge of the earth? Or who appointed [him] the whole world?
14 If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath,
If he should set against him his heart, His spirit and his inspiration, unto himself he should withdraw.
15 all flesh would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.
All flesh together, would cease to breathe, and, the earth-born, unto dust, would return.
16 If you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words.
If then [thou hast] understanding, hear this, Give thou ear to the teaching of my words: —
17 Could one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One,
Shall, the very hater of right, control? Or, the just—the mighty one, wilt thou condemn?
18 who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’
Doth one say to a king, Abandoned one! Or, Lawless one! unto nobles?
19 who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.
For he hath shewn no respect of persons unto princes, neither hath he recognised the rich rather than the poor? For, the work of his hands, are they all.
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.
In a moment, they die, even in the middle of the night, —A people are convulsed when they pass away, A mighty one is removed, without hand;
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, all his footsteps, he beholdeth, —
22 There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity can hide.
No darkness, and no death-shade, where the workers of iniquity may hide.
23 For God need not examine a man further or have him approach for judgment.
For, unto no man, doth he appoint a repetition, —in going unto GOD in judgment;
24 He shatters the mighty without inquiry and sets up others in their place.
He shattereth mighty ones unsearchably, and setteth up others in their stead:
25 Therefore, He recognizes their deeds; He overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.
Therefore, he observeth their works, —and overturneth [them] in a night, and they are crushed;
26 He strikes them for their wickedness in full view,
In the place of lawless men, hath he chastised them, in presence of beholders.
27 because they turned aside from Him and had no regard for any of His ways.
Forasmuch, as they turned from following him, and, none of his ways, did they teach;
28 They caused the cry of the poor to come before Him, and He heard the outcry of the afflicted.
Causing to reach him the outcry of the poor, Yea, the outcry of the oppressed, he heareth.
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,
When, he, giveth quiet, who then shall condemn? And, when he hideth [his] face, who then shall sing of him? whether unto a nation or unto mankind altogether,
30 that godless men should not rule or lay snares for the people.
That impious men may not reign, nor be ensnarers of the people.
31 Suppose someone says to God, ‘I have endured my punishment; I will offend no more.
For, unto GOD, hath one [ever] said—I have borne punishment, I will not be perverse;
32 Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’
What I see not, do, thou, shew me, If, perverseness, I have wrought, I will do it no more?
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.
According to thy mind, must he requite it, that thou hast refused? For, thou, must choose, and not, I, What then thou knowest, speak!
34 Men of understanding will declare to me, and the wise men who hear me will say:
The men of mind, will say to me, yea any wise man hearkening unto me: —
35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’
Job, without knowledge, doth speak, and, his words, are not with discretion.
36 If only Job were tried to the utmost for answering like a wicked man.
Would that Job might be tested to the uttermost, for replying with the men of iniquity:
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”
For he addeth—unto his sin—rebellion, In our midst, he clappeth his hands, and multiplieth his sayings against GOD.
