Job 34
1 And Elihu commenced, and said,
Then Elihu continued:
2 Hear, O ye wise men, my words; and ye that have knowledge, give ear unto me.
“You [three] men who [think that you] [SAR] are very wise, hear me; listen to what I am saying, you men who [say that you] know so much.
3 For the ear proveth words, as the palate tasteth the food.
When we [SYN] hear what other people [like you] say, we [RHQ] think carefully about what they say [to determine what is good and what is bad], like we [SYN] taste food [to determine what is good].
4 Let us choose for ourselves what is just: let us acknowledge between ourselves what is good.
We need to decide [who is saying] what is right and to determine among ourselves what is good/best.
5 For Job hath said, “I am righteous; and God hath taken away justice from me.
Job has said, ‘I am innocent, but God has refused to judge me fairly/justly.
6 Should I lie concerning the justice due me? incurable is [my wound from] the arrow I bear in me without any transgression.”
Even though I have always done what is right, he is lying about me. Even though I have not done what is wrong, he has caused me to suffer, and I will certainly die.’
7 What man is there like Job, who drinketh scorning like water,
(Is there any person like Job, who insults others as easily as people accept a drink of water?/There is no person like Job, who insults others as easily as people accept a drink of water.) [RHQ]
8 And is on the road to keep company with the wrong-doers, and to walk with men of wickedness?
He habitually associates with people who do what is evil and spends time with wicked people.
9 For he hath said, “It profiteth a man nothing when he acteth according to the pleasure of God.”
He has said, ‘It is useless for people to try to please God.’
10 Therefore ye men of sense hearken unto me: far is it from God to practise wickedness; and from the Almighty to do wrong!
“So, you men who [claim that you] understand everything, listen to me! Almighty God would never consider doing anything that is wicked or wrong [DOU]!
11 For the work of a son of earth doth he recompense unto him, and according to the path of man doth he permit things to occur to him.
He (pays back/punishes) people for what they have done; he gives them what they deserve for the way that they have conducted their lives.
12 Yea, surely God will not condemn unjustly, nor will the Almighty pervert justice.
Truly, Almighty God never does what is wicked; he always [LIT] does what is fair/just.
13 Who hath given him a charge concerning the earth? or who hath intrusted [him] the whole world?
The authority that he has to rule everything on the earth, no one [RHQ] gave it to him; no one [RHQ] put him in control of the whole world. [He has always had that authority].
14 If he were to set his heart upon man, he would gather unto himself his spirit and his breath:
If he would take his spirit back to himself,
15 All flesh would perish together, and the son of earth would return again unto dust.
everyone would die [immediately], and their corpses would soon become dirt again.
16 If then thou wishest to understand, hear this: give ear to the sound of my words.
“So, [Job], if [you say that you] understand everything, listen to what I am saying.
17 Is it possible that he who hateth justice should govern? or wilt thou condemn the righteous mighty One?
God could certainly not [RHQ] govern the world if he hated doing what is fair/just. So, will you condemn God, who is righteous and powerful, [saying that what he has done is wrong]?
18 [Is it fit] to say to a king, Thou art worthless? and to princes, Ye are wicked?
He tells [some] kings that they are worthless, and he says to [some] officials that they are wicked.
19 Whereas he is one that showeth no favor to chieftains, and distinguisheth not the rich before the indigent; for all of them are the work of his hands.
He does not favor rulers [more than he favors others]; he does not favor rich people more than poor people, because he created all of them.
20 In a moment will they die, and in the midst of the night; people are moved, and pass away: and the mighty will be removed without a human hand.
People [often] die suddenly; he strikes them at midnight and they die; he even gets rid of mighty people without the help of any humans [SYN].
21 For big eyes are upon the ways of man, and all his steps doth he see.
“He sees [MTY] everything that people do; [when we walk, ] he watches every step that we take.
22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the evil-doers can hide themselves.
There is no gloom or darkness [DOU] that is so dark that sinners can hide [from him] in that darkness.
23 For he need not direct [his attention] a long time upon man, that he should enter into judgment before God.
God does not [need to] set a time when we will stand in front of him in order that he may judge us. [He can judge us whenever he wants to].
24 He breaketh down mighty men without [long] searching, and placeth others in their stead.
He destroys mighty people without [needing to] investigate [what they have done], and he appoints others to take their places.
25 For the reason that he knoweth their deeds: therefore he overturneth them in the night, and they are crushed.
Because he [already] knows what they have done, he removes them at night and gets rid of them.
26 Among wicked men doth he strike them, in the place where [many] see them:
Where [many] people can see it, he strikes/punishes them because of the wicked things that they have done;
27 Because they have departed from following him, and have not considered all his ways.
he strikes them because they turned away from doing what he wanted them to do and did not pay attention to any of his commands.
28 Bringing before them the cry of the indigent, and the cry of the afflicted which he had to hear.
They [mistreated] the poor people, with the result that those poor people cried out to God [for help], and he heard those afflicted people when they cried out [to him].
29 When he now granteth rest, who will condemn [him]! and when he hideth his face, who can behold him? whether it be against a nation, or against one man, it is the same:
But if God decides to do nothing [to punish wicked people], no one can criticize/condemn him. If a godless/wicked man rules a nation, a man who tricks/deceives the people,
30 That no hypocritical man may reign, that such shall not be a mare to the people.
and if [God] hides his face [with the result that he does not see that ruler or punish him], no one will be able to prevent that ruler [from doing those things].
31 For truly it is only fitting to say unto God, “I bear [cheerfully], I will not do any wrong;
“Job, have you or anyone else ever said to God, ‘I have been punished [for my sins], and I will not sin any more;
32 What I cannot see myself, do thou truly teach me; if I have done what is unjust, I will do so no more.”
so teach/show me what [sins I have committed]; if I have done anything that is evil, I will not do it any more’?
33 Should he then according to thy view send a recompense, because thou hast rejected him? “Because thou must choose, and not I?” and what thou knowest, do speak.
[Job, ] you object to what God has done to you, but do you think that he will do what you want him to do? It is you who must choose [what you say to God], not I; so tell me what you are thinking about this.
34 Men of sense will say unto me, and every wise man who heareth me,
“People who have good sense, those who are wise and who listen to what I say, will say to me,
35 That Job hath not spoken with knowledge, and that his words are without intelligence.
‘Job is speaking ignorantly; what he says is nonsense.’
36 Oh that Job may therefore be probed continually, in order to give answers against sinful men.
I think that Job should be taken to a court and (put on trial/judged), because he answers [us his friends] like wicked men would answer.
37 For he addeth unto his sin transgression: among us he uttereth too many loud words, and multiplieth his speeches against God.
To add to the [other] sins that he has committed, he is rebelling [against God]; he shows us that he does not respect God [IDM], making long speeches [saying that God has punished him unjustly].”
