Job 34

1 And Elihu answers and says:

And Elius continued, and said,

2 “Hear, O wise men, my words, And, O knowing ones, give ear to me.

Hear me, ye wise men; hearken, ye that have knowledge.

3 For the ear tries words, And the palate tastes to eat.

For the ear tries words, and the mouth tastes meat.

4 Let us choose judgment for ourselves, Let us know among ourselves what [is] good.

Let us choose judgment to ourselves: let us know amount ourselves what is right.

5 For Job has said, I have been righteous, And God has turned aside my right,

For Job has said, I am righteous: the Lord has removed my judgment.

6 Against my right do I lie? My arrow [is] mortal—without transgression.

And he has erred in my judgment: my wound is severe without unrighteousness [of mine].

7 Who [is] a man like Job? He drinks scoffing like water,

What man is as Job, drinking scorning like water?

8 And he has traveled for company With workers of iniquity, So as to go with men of wickedness.

[saying], I have not sinned, nor committed ungodliness, nor had fellowship with workers of iniquity, to go with the ungodly.

9 For he has said, It does not profit a man When he delights himself with God.

For thou shouldest not say, There shall be no visitation of a man, whereas [there is] a visitation on him from the Lord.

10 Therefore, O men of heart, listen to me; Far be it from God to do wickedness, And [from] the Mighty to do perverseness,

Wherefore hear me, ye that are wise in heart: far be it from me to sin before the Lord, and to pervert righteousness before the almighty.

11 For He repays the work of man to him, And according to the path of each He causes him to find.

Yea, he renders to a man accordingly as each of them does, and in a man's path he will find him.

12 Indeed, truly, God does not do wickedly, And the Mighty does not pervert judgment.

And thinkest thou that the Lord will do wrong, or will the Almighty who made the earth wrest judgment?

13 Who has inspected for Himself the earth? And who has placed all the habitable world?

And who is he that made [the whole world] under heaven, and all things therein?

14 If He sets His heart on him, [If] He gathers His Spirit and His breath to Himself,

For if he would confine, and restrain his spirit with himself;

15 All flesh expires together, And man returns to dust.

all flesh would die together, and every mortal would return to the earth, whence also he was formed.

16 And if [there is] understanding, hear this, Give ear to the voice of my words.

Take heed lest he rebuke [thee]: hear this, hearken to the voice of words.

17 Indeed, does one hating justice govern? Or do you condemn the Most Just?

Behold then the one that hates iniquities, and that destroys the wicked, who is for ever just.

18 Who has said to a king, Worthless, To princes, Wicked?

[He is] ungodly that says to a king, Thou art a transgressor, [that says] to princes, O most ungodly one.

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.

[Such a one] as would not reverence the face of an honourable man, neither knows how to give honour to the great, so as that their persons should be respected.

20 [In] a moment they die, And at midnight people shake, And they pass away, And they remove the mighty without hand.

But it shall turn out vanity to them, to cry and beseech a man; for they dealt unlawfully, the poor being turned aside [from their right].

21 For His eyes [are] on the ways of each, And He sees all his steps.

For he surveys the works of men, and nothing of what they do has escaped him.

22 There is no darkness nor death-shade, For workers of iniquity to be hidden there;

Neither shall there be a place for the workers of iniquity to hide themselves.

23 For He does not permit man anymore, To go to God in judgment,

For he will not lay upon a man more [than right].

24 He breaks the mighty—no searching! And He appoints others in their stead.

For the Lord looks down upon all men, who comprehends unsearchable things, glorious also and excellent things without number.

25 Therefore He knows their works, And He has overturned by night, And they are bruised.

Who discovers their works, and will bring night about [upon them], and they shall be brought low.

26 As wicked He has struck them, In the place of beholders.

And he quite destroys the ungodly, for they are seen before him.

27 Because that against right They have turned aside from after Him, And have considered none of His ways,

Because they turned aside from the law of God, and did not regard his ordinances,

28 To cause to come to Him The cry of the poor, And He hears the cry of the afflicted.

so as to bring before him the cry of the needy; for he will hear the cry of the poor.

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.

And he will give quiet, and who will condemn? and he will hide his face, and who shall see him? whether [it be done] against a nation, or against a man also:

30 From the reigning of a profane man, From the snares of a people;

causing a hypocrite to be king, because of the waywardness of the people.

31 For has any said to God: I have taken away, I do not do corruptly,

For [there is] one that says to the Mighty One, I have received [blessings]; I will not take a pledge:

32 Besides [that which] I see, You show me, If I have done iniquity—I do not add?

I will see apart from myself: do thou shew me if I have done unrighteousness; I will not do [so] any more.

33 Does He repay by you, that you have refused—That you choose, and not I? And what you have known, speak.

Will he take vengeance for it on thee, whereas thou wilt put [it] far [from thee]? for thou shalt choose, and not I; and what thou knowest, speak thou.

34 Let men of heart say to me, And a wise man is listening to me:

Because the wise in heart shall say this, and a wise man listens to my word.

35 Job—he does not speak with knowledge, And his words [are] not with wisdom.

But Job has not spoken with understanding, his words are not [uttered] with knowledge.

36 My Father! Let Job be tried—to victory, Because of answers for men of iniquity,

Howbeit do thou learn, Job: no longer make answer as the foolish:

37 For he adds to his sin, He vomits transgression among us, And multiplies his sayings to God.”

that we add not to our sins: for iniquity will be reckoned against us, if [we] speak many words before the Lord.