Job 35

1 Elihu spoke moreover, and said,

After this, Eliu again spoke in this way:

2 Think you this to be right, that you said, My righteousness is more than God’s?

Does it seem right to you in your thoughts, that you should say, “I am more just than God?”

3 For you said, What advantage will it be to you? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

For you said, “Having done what is right does not please you,” and, “How will it benefit you, if I sin?”

4 I will answer you, and your companions with you.

And so, I will respond to your words, and to your friends who are with you.

5 Look to the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than you.

Look up towards heaven and consider; also, think about the sky, which is higher than you.

6 If you sin, what do you against him? or if your transgressions be multiplied, what do you to him?

If you sin, how will it hurt him? And if your iniquities are multiplied, what will you do against him?

7 If you be righteous, what give you him? or what receives he of your hand?

Furthermore, if you act justly, what will you give him, or what will he receive from your hand?

8 Your wickedness may hurt a man as you are; and your righteousness may profit the son of man.

Your impiety may hurt a man who is like you, though your justice may help the son of the man.

9 By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.

Because of the multitude of false accusers, they will cry out; and they will lament because of the strong arm of the tyrants.

10 But none says, Where is God my maker, who gives songs in the night;

Yet he has not said: “Where is God, who made me, who has given songs in the night,

11 Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

who teaches us in addition to the beasts of the earth, and who educates us along with the birds of the air?”

12 There they cry, but none gives answer, because of the pride of evil men.

There they will cry, and he will not heed them, because of the arrogance of the wicked.

13 Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

Therefore, God does not hear in vain, and the Almighty will look into each and every case.

14 Although you say you shall not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust you in him.

And so, when you say, “He does not examine,” be judged before him, but wait for him.

15 But now, because it is not so, he has visited in his anger; yet he knows it not in great extremity:

For, at the present time, he does not bring forth his fury, nor does he punish sin exceedingly.

16 Therefore does Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplies words without knowledge.

Therefore, Job has opened his mouth in vain and has multiplied words without knowledge.