Job 34
1 And Elihu made answer and said,
Moreover Elihu answered and said,
2 Give ear, you wise, to my words; and you who have knowledge, give attention to me;
Hear my words, ye wise [men]; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
3 For words are tested by the ear, as food is tasted by the mouth.
For the ear trieth words, as the palate tasteth food.
4 Let us make the decision for ourselves as to what is right; let us have the knowledge among ourselves of what is good.
Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good!
5 For Job has said, I am upright, and it is God who has taken away my right;
For Job hath said, I am righteous, and God hath taken away my judgment:
6 Though I am right, still I am in pain; my wound may not be made well, though I have done no wrong.
Should I lie against my right? My wound is incurable without transgression.
7 What man is like Job, a man who freely makes sport of God,
What man is like Job? he drinketh up scorning like water,
8 And goes in the company of evil-doers, walking in the way of sinners?
And goeth in company with workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
9 For he has said, It is no profit to a man to take delight in God.
For he hath said, It profiteth not a man if he delight himself in God.
10 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.
Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be wickedness from God, and wrong from the Almighty!
11 For he gives to every man the reward of his work, and sees that he gets the fruit of his ways.
For a man's work will he render to him, and cause every one to find according to [his] way.
12 Truly, God does not do evil, and the Ruler of all is not a false judge.
Yea, surely, God acteth not wickedly, and the Almighty perverteth not judgment.
13 Who put the earth into his care, or made him responsible for the world?
Who hath entrusted to him the earth? and who hath disposed the whole world?
14 If he made his spirit come back to him, taking his breath into himself again,
If he only thought of himself, [and] gathered unto him his spirit and his breath,
15 All flesh would come to an end together, and man would go back to the dust.
All flesh would expire together, and man would return to the dust.
16 If you are wise, take note of this; give ear to the voice of my words.
If now [thou hast] understanding, hear this: give ear to the voice of my words!
17 How may a hater of right be a ruler? and will you say that the upright Ruler of all is evil?
Should he that hateth right indeed govern? and wilt thou condemn the All-just?
18 He who says to a king, You are an evil-doer; and to rulers, You are sinners;
Shall one say to a king, Belial? to nobles, Wicked?
19 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.
[How then to him] that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich man more than the poor? for they are all the work of his hands.
20 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.
In a moment they die, even at midnight the people are convulsed and pass away; and the strong are taken away without hand.
21 For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.
For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his steps.
22 There is no dark place, and no thick cloud, in which the workers of evil may take cover.
There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 For he does not give man a fixed time to come before him to be judged.
For he doth not long consider a man, to bring him before God in judgment.
24 He sends the strong to destruction without searching out their cause, and puts others in their place.
He breaketh in pieces mighty men without inquiry, and setteth others in their stead;
25 For he has knowledge of their works, overturning them in the night, so that they are crushed.
Since he knoweth their actions; and he overthroweth [them] in the night, and they are crushed.
26 The evil-doers are broken by his wrath, he puts his hand on them with force before the eyes of all onlookers.
He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others,
27 Because they did not go after him, and took no note of his ways,
Because they have turned back from him, and would consider none of his ways;
28 So that the cry of the poor might come up to him, and the prayer of those in need come to his ears.
So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.
When he giveth quietness, who then will disturb? and when he hideth [his] face, who shall behold him? and this towards a nation, or towards a man alike;
That the ungodly man reign not, that the people be not ensnared.
For hath he said unto God, I bear [chastisement], I will not offend;
What I see not, teach thou me; if I have done wrong, I will do so no more?
Shall he recompense according to thy mind? for thou hast refused [his judgment]; for thou so choosest, and not I; speak then what thou knowest.
34 Men of knowledge, and all wise men, hearing me, will say,
Men of understanding will say to me, and a wise man who heareth me:
35 Job's words do not come from knowledge; they are not the fruit of wisdom.
Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were not with intelligence.
36 May Job be tested to the end, because his answers have been like those of evil men.
Would that Job may be tried unto the end, because of [his] answers after the manner of evil men!
37 For in addition to his sin, he is uncontrolled in heart; before our eyes he makes sport of God, increasing his words against him.
For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth [his hands] among us, and multiplieth his words against God.
