Job 35
1 And Elihu made answer and said,
Then Elihu continued, saying,
2 Does it seem to you to be right, and righteousness before God, to say,
“Do you think it's honest to claim you are right before God?
3 What profit is it to me, and how am I better off than if I had done wrong?
And you ask, ‘What benefit do I get? What good has it done me by not sinning?’
4 I will make answer to you and to your friends:
I'll tell you, and your friends too!
5 Let your eyes be turned to the heavens, and lifted up to see the skies; they are higher than you.
Just look up at the sky and see. Observe the clouds high above you.
6 If you have done wrong, is he any the worse for it? and if your sins are great in number, what is it to him?
If you sin, how does that harm God? How do your many sins affect God?
7 If you are upright, what do you give to him? or what does he take from your hand?
If you do what's right, what good are you doing for him?
8 Your evil-doing may have an effect on a man like yourself, or your righteousness on a son of man.
No—your sins only affect people like yourself, and whatever good you do only affects them too.
9 Because the hand of the cruel is hard on them, men are making sounds of grief; they are crying out for help because of the arm of the strong.
People cry out because of terrible persecution; they call for someone to save them from their oppressors.
10 But no one has said, Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night;
But no one asks, ‘Where is the God my maker, the one who gives songs in the night,
11 Who gives us more knowledge than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the heaven?
who teaches us more than the animals, and makes us wiser than the birds?’
12 There they are crying out because of the pride of the evil-doers, but he gives them no answer.
When they call out for help, God doesn't answer because they are proud and evil people.
13 But God will not give ear to what is false, or the Ruler of all take note of it;
God doesn't listen to their empty cries; the Almighty doesn't pay them any attention.
14 How much less when you say that you do not see him; that the cause is before him, and you are waiting for him.
How much less will God hear you when you say he can't see you? Your case is before him, so you have to wait for him.
15 And now ...;
You're saying that God doesn't punish people in his anger and pays little attention to sin.
16 And Job's mouth is open wide to give out what is of no profit, increasing words without knowledge.
You, Job, are talking nonsense, making long speeches when you know nothing!”
