Job 34
1 Moreover Elihu answered and said:
Furthermore Elihu responded, and said: —
2 Hear my words, ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
Hear, ye wise men, my words, and, ye who know, give ear unto me;
3 For the ear trieth words, as the palate tasteth food.
For, the ear, trieth words, as, the palate, tasteth in eating.
4 Let us choose for us that which is right; let us know among ourselves what is good.
What is right, let us choose for ourselves, Let us know, among ourselves, what is good;
5 For Job hath said: 'I am righteous, and God hath taken away my right;
For Job hath said—I am righteous, But, GOD, hath turned away my right;
6 Notwithstanding my right I am accounted a liar; 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 drinketh up scorning like water?
What man is like Job? He drinketh in scoffing like water;
8 Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh 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 hath said: 'It profiteth a man nothing that he should be in accord with God.'
For he hath said, It profiteth not a man, when, his good pleasure, is with God.
10 Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be it from God, that He should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that He should commit iniquity.
Wherefore, ye men of mind, hearken unto me, —Far be it, that, GOD, should be lawless, or, the Almighty, be perverse!
11 For the work of a man will He requite unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
For, what any son of earth doeth, he repayeth him, and, according to every man’s course, he causeth him to find.
12 Yea, of a surety, God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert justice.
Nay, verily, GOD, will not condemn unjustly, —nor, the Almighty, pervert justice.
13 Who gave Him a charge over the earth? Or who hath disposed the whole world?
Who set him in charge of the earth? Or who appointed [him] the whole world?
14 If He set His heart upon man, if He gather unto Himself his spirit and his breath;
If he should set against him his heart, His spirit and his inspiration, unto himself he should withdraw.
15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall return unto dust.
All flesh together, would cease to breathe, and, the earth-born, unto dust, would return.
16 If now thou hast understanding, hear this; hearken to the voice of my words.
If then [thou hast] understanding, hear this, Give thou ear to the teaching of my words: —
17 Shall even one that hateth right govern? And wilt thou condemn Him that is just and mighty —
Shall, the very hater of right, control? Or, the just—the mighty one, wilt thou condemn?
18 Is it fit to say to a king: 'Thou art base'? Or to nobles: 'Ye are wicked'? —
Doth one say to a king, Abandoned one! Or, Lawless one! unto nobles?
19 That respecteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? For they all are 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 In a moment they die, even at midnight; the people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away without 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 upon the ways of a man, and He seeth all his goings.
For, his eyes, are on the ways of a man, and, all his footsteps, he beholdeth, —
22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
No darkness, and no death-shade, where the workers of iniquity may hide.
23 For He doth not appoint a time unto any man, when he should go before God in judgment.
For, unto no man, doth he appoint a repetition, —in going unto GOD in judgment;
24 He breaketh in pieces mighty men without inquisition, and setteth others in their stead.
He shattereth mighty ones unsearchably, and setteth up others in their stead:
25 Therefore He taketh knowledge of their works; and He overturneth them in the night, so that they are crushed.
Therefore, he observeth their works, —and overturneth [them] in a night, and they are crushed;
26 He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others;
In the place of lawless men, hath he chastised them, in presence of beholders.
27 Because they turned aside from following Him, and would not have regard to any of His ways;
Forasmuch, as they turned from following him, and, none of his ways, did they teach;
28 So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto Him, and He heareth the cry of the afflicted.
Causing to reach him the outcry of the poor, Yea, the outcry of the oppressed, he heareth.
29 When He giveth quietness, who then can condemn? And when He hideth His face, who then can behold Him? whether it be done unto a nation, or unto a man, alike;
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 the godless man reign not, that there be none to ensnare the people.
That impious men may not reign, nor be ensnarers of the people.
31 For hath any said unto God: 'I have borne chastisement, though I offend not;
For, unto GOD, hath one [ever] said—I have borne punishment, I will not be perverse;
32 That which I see not teach Thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more'?
What I see not, do, thou, shew me, If, perverseness, I have wrought, I will do it no more?
33 Shall His recompense be as thou wilt? For thou loathest it, so that thou must choose, and not I; therefore speak what thou knowest.
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 say unto me, yea, every wise man that heareth me:
The men of mind, will say to me, yea any wise man hearkening unto me: —
35 'Job speaketh without knowledge, and his words are without discernment.'
Job, without knowledge, doth speak, and, his words, are not with discretion.
36 Would that Job were tried unto the end, because of his answering like wicked men.
Would that Job might be tested to the uttermost, for replying with the men of iniquity:
37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.
For he addeth—unto his sin—rebellion, In our midst, he clappeth his hands, and multiplieth his sayings against GOD.
