Job 35

1 And Elihu made answer and said,

Moreover Elihu, responded and said: —

2 Does it seem to you to be right, and righteousness before God, to say,

This, dost thou think to be right? Thou hast said—My righteousness is more than GOD’S.

3 What profit is it to me, and how am I better off than if I had done wrong?

For thou dost say, How can one profit by thee? How can I benefit, more than by my sin?

4 I will make answer to you and to your friends:

I, will answer thee plainly, and thy friends with thee.

5 Let your eyes be turned to the heavens, and lifted up to see the skies; they are higher than you.

Look at the heavens and see, —and survey the skies—they are higher than thou.

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 thou sinnest, what canst thou work against him? Or, if thy transgressions be multiplied, what canst thou do unto him?

7 If you are upright, what do you give to him? or what does he take from your hand?

If thou art righteous, what canst thou give unto him? Or what, at thy hand, can he accept?

8 Your evil-doing may have an effect on a man like yourself, or your righteousness on a son of man.

Unto a man like thyself, might thy lawlessness [reach], and, unto a son of the earth-born, thy righteousness.

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.

By reason of the multitude of oppressions, [men] make outcry, They cry for help, by reason of the arm of the mighty;

10 But no one has said, Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night;

But none saith—Where is GOD my maker, Who giveth 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 teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and, beyond the bird of the heavens, giveth us wisdom?

12 There they are crying out because of the pride of the evil-doers, but he gives them no answer.

There, [men] make outcry, and he answereth not, because of the arrogance of evil-doers.

13 But God will not give ear to what is false, or the Ruler of all take note of it;

Howbeit, vanity, will GOD not hear, Yea, the Almighty, will not regard it.

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 when thou sayest thou wilt not regard him! The cause, is before him, and thou must wait for him.

15 And now ...;

But, now, because it is not so, [thou sayest] —His anger hath punished, and yet hath he not at all known of transgression;

16 And Job's mouth is open wide to give out what is of no profit, increasing words without knowledge.

Thus, Job, vainly openeth his mouth, Without knowledge, he multiplieth words.