Job 34
1 Then Elihu continued:
Then Elihu continued:
2 “Hear my words, O wise men; give ear to me, O men of learning.
“You [three] men who [think that you] [SAR] are very wise, hear me; listen to what I am saying, you men who [say that you] know so much.
3 For the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food.
When we [SYN] hear what other people [like you] say, we [RHQ] think carefully about what they say [to determine what is good and what is bad], like we [SYN] taste food [to determine what is good].
4 Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.
We need to decide [who is saying] what is right and to determine among ourselves what is good/best.
5 For Job has declared, ‘I am righteous, yet God has deprived me of justice.
Job has said, ‘I am innocent, but God has refused to judge me fairly/justly.
6 Would I lie about my case? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
Even though I have always done what is right, he is lying about me. Even though I have not done what is wrong, he has caused me to suffer, and I will certainly die.’
7 What man is like Job, who drinks up derision like water?
(Is there any person like Job, who insults others as easily as people accept a drink of water?/There is no person like Job, who insults others as easily as people accept a drink of water.) [RHQ]
8 He keeps company with evildoers and walks with wicked men.
He habitually associates with people who do what is evil and spends time with wicked people.
9 For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.’
He has said, ‘It is useless for people to try to please 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.
“So, you men who [claim that you] understand everything, listen to me! Almighty God would never consider doing anything that is wicked or wrong [DOU]!
11 For according to a man’s deeds He repays him; according to a man’s ways He brings consequences.
He (pays back/punishes) people for what they have done; he gives them what they deserve for the way that they have conducted their lives.
12 Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
Truly, Almighty God never does what is wicked; he always [LIT] does what is fair/just.
13 Who gave Him charge over the earth? Who appointed Him over the whole world?
The authority that he has to rule everything on the earth, no one [RHQ] gave it to him; no one [RHQ] put him in control of the whole world. [He has always had that authority].
14 If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath,
If he would take his spirit back to himself,
15 all flesh would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.
everyone would die [immediately], and their corpses would soon become dirt again.
16 If you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words.
“So, [Job], if [you say that you] understand everything, listen to what I am saying.
17 Could one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One,
God could certainly not [RHQ] govern the world if he hated doing what is fair/just. So, will you condemn God, who is righteous and powerful, [saying that what he has done is wrong]?
18 who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’
He tells [some] kings that they are worthless, and he says to [some] officials that they are wicked.
19 who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.
He does not favor rulers [more than he favors others]; he does not favor rich people more than poor people, because he created all of them.
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.
People [often] die suddenly; he strikes them at midnight and they die; he even gets rid of mighty people without the help of any humans [SYN].
21 For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step.
“He sees [MTY] everything that people do; [when we walk, ] he watches every step that we take.
22 There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity can hide.
There is no gloom or darkness [DOU] that is so dark that sinners can hide [from him] in that darkness.
23 For God need not examine a man further or have him approach for judgment.
God does not [need to] set a time when we will stand in front of him in order that he may judge us. [He can judge us whenever he wants to].
24 He shatters the mighty without inquiry and sets up others in their place.
He destroys mighty people without [needing to] investigate [what they have done], and he appoints others to take their places.
25 Therefore, He recognizes their deeds; He overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.
Because he [already] knows what they have done, he removes them at night and gets rid of them.
26 He strikes them for their wickedness in full view,
Where [many] people can see it, he strikes/punishes them because of the wicked things that they have done;
27 because they turned aside from Him and had no regard for any of His ways.
he strikes them because they turned away from doing what he wanted them to do and did not pay attention to any of his commands.
28 They caused the cry of the poor to come before Him, and He heard the outcry of the afflicted.
They [mistreated] the poor people, with the result that those poor people cried out to God [for help], and he heard those afflicted people when they cried out [to him].
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,
But if God decides to do nothing [to punish wicked people], no one can criticize/condemn him. If a godless/wicked man rules a nation, a man who tricks/deceives the people,
30 that godless men should not rule or lay snares for the people.
and if [God] hides his face [with the result that he does not see that ruler or punish him], no one will be able to prevent that ruler [from doing those things].
31 Suppose someone says to God, ‘I have endured my punishment; I will offend no more.
“Job, have you or anyone else ever said to God, ‘I have been punished [for my sins], and I will not sin any more;
32 Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’
so teach/show me what [sins I have committed]; if I have done anything that is evil, I will not do it any 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.
[Job, ] you object to what God has done to you, but do you think that he will do what you want him to do? It is you who must choose [what you say to God], not I; so tell me what you are thinking about this.
34 Men of understanding will declare to me, and the wise men who hear me will say:
“People who have good sense, those who are wise and who listen to what I say, will say to me,
35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’
‘Job is speaking ignorantly; what he says is nonsense.’
36 If only Job were tried to the utmost for answering like a wicked man.
I think that Job should be taken to a court and (put on trial/judged), because he answers [us his friends] like wicked men would answer.
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”
To add to the [other] sins that he has committed, he is rebelling [against God]; he shows us that he does not respect God [IDM], making long speeches [saying that God has punished him unjustly].”
