Job 35

1 Elihu spake moreover, and said,

After this, Eliu again spoke in this way:

2 Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, 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 thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? 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 thee, and thy companions with thee.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Furthermore, if you act justly, what will you give him, or what will 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 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 saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;

Yet he has not said: “Where is God, who made me, who has given 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 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 giveth 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 thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou 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 hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth 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 doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

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