Job 34
1 And Elihu answers and says:
Then Elihu continued:
2 “Hear, O wise men, my words, And, O knowing ones, give ear to me.
“Hear my words, O wise men; give ear to me, O men of learning.
3 For the ear tries words, And the palate tastes to eat.
For the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food.
4 Let us choose judgment for ourselves, Let us know among ourselves what [is] good.
Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.
5 For Job has said, I have been righteous, And God has turned aside my right,
For Job has declared, ‘I am righteous, yet God has deprived me of justice.
6 Against my right do I lie? My arrow [is] mortal—without transgression.
Would I lie about my case? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7 Who [is] a man like Job? He drinks scoffing like water,
What man is like Job, who drinks up derision like water?
8 And he has traveled for company With workers of iniquity, So as to go with men of wickedness.
He keeps company with evildoers and walks with wicked men.
9 For he has said, It does not profit a man When he delights himself with God.
For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.’
10 Therefore, O men of heart, listen to me; Far be it from God to do wickedness, And [from] the Mighty to do perverseness,
Therefore listen to me, O men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wrong, and from the Almighty to act unjustly.
11 For He repays the work of man to him, And according to the path of each He causes him to find.
For according to a man’s deeds He repays him; according to a man’s ways He brings consequences.
12 Indeed, truly, God does not do wickedly, And the Mighty does not pervert judgment.
Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
13 Who has inspected for Himself the earth? And who has placed all the habitable world?
Who gave Him charge over the earth? Who appointed Him over the whole world?
14 If He sets His heart on him, [If] He gathers His Spirit and His breath to Himself,
If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath,
15 All flesh expires together, And man returns to dust.
all flesh would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.
16 And if [there is] understanding, hear this, Give ear to the voice of my words.
If you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words.
17 Indeed, does one hating justice govern? Or do you condemn the Most Just?
Could one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One,
18 Who has said to a king, Worthless, To princes, Wicked?
who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’
19 That has not accepted the person of princes, Nor has known the rich before the poor, For all of them [are] a work of His hands.
who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.
20 [In] a moment they die, And at midnight people shake, And they pass away, And they remove the mighty without hand.
They die in an instant, in the middle of the night. The people convulse and pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.
21 For His eyes [are] on the ways of each, And He sees all his steps.
For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step.
22 There is no darkness nor death-shade, For workers of iniquity to be hidden there;
There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity can hide.
23 For He does not permit man anymore, To go to God in judgment,
For God need not examine a man further or have him approach for judgment.
24 He breaks the mighty—no searching! And He appoints others in their stead.
He shatters the mighty without inquiry and sets up others in their place.
25 Therefore He knows their works, And He has overturned by night, And they are bruised.
Therefore, He recognizes their deeds; He overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.
26 As wicked He has struck them, In the place of beholders.
He strikes them for their wickedness in full view,
27 Because that against right They have turned aside from after Him, And have considered none of His ways,
because they turned aside from Him and had no regard for any of His ways.
28 To cause to come to Him The cry of the poor, And He hears the cry of the afflicted.
They caused the cry of the poor to come before Him, and He heard the outcry of the afflicted.
29 And He gives rest, and who makes wrong? And hides the face, and who beholds it? And in reference to a nation and to a man, [It is] the same.
But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation,
30 From the reigning of a profane man, From the snares of a people;
that godless men should not rule or lay snares for the people.
31 For has any said to God: I have taken away, I do not do corruptly,
Suppose someone says to God, ‘I have endured my punishment; I will offend no more.
32 Besides [that which] I see, You show me, If I have done iniquity—I do not add?
Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’
33 Does He repay by you, that you have refused—That you choose, and not I? And what you have known, speak.
Should God repay you on your own terms when you have disavowed His? You must choose, not I; so tell me what you know.
34 Let men of heart say to me, And a wise man is listening to me:
Men of understanding will declare to me, and the wise men who hear me will say:
35 Job—he does not speak with knowledge, And his words [are] not with wisdom.
‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’
36 My Father! Let Job be tried—to victory, Because of answers for men of iniquity,
If only Job were tried to the utmost for answering like a wicked man.
37 For he adds to his sin, He vomits transgression among us, And multiplies his sayings to God.”
For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”
