Job 35

1 ELIHU spake moreover, and said,

And Elihu went on to say:

2 Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?

“Do you think this is just? You say, ‘I am more righteous than God.’

3 For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

For you ask, ‘What does it profit me, and what benefit do I gain apart from sin?’

4 I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

I will reply to you and to your friends as well.

5 Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

Look to the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds high above you.

6 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

If you sin, what do you accomplish against Him? If you multiply your transgressions, what do you do to Him?

7 If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

If you are righteous, what do you give Him, or what does He receive from your hand?

8 Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

Your wickedness affects only a man like yourself, and your righteousness only a son of 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.

Men cry out under great oppression; they plead for relief from the arm of the mighty.

10 But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;

But no one asks, ‘Where is God my Maker, who gives us songs in the night,

11 Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the air?’

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

There they cry out, but He does not answer, because of the pride of evil men.

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

Surely God does not listen to empty pleas, and the Almighty does not take note of it.

14 Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.

How much less, then, when you say that you do not see Him, that your case is before Him and you must wait for Him,

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

and further, that in His anger He has not punished or taken much notice of folly!

16 Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

So Job opens his mouth in vain and multiplies words without knowledge.”