Job 34
1 And Elihu answers and says:
After proclaiming these things, Eliu now had this to say:
2 “Hear, O wise men, my words, And, O knowing ones, give ear to me.
May the wise hear my words, and may the educated listen to me.
3 For the ear tries words, And the palate tastes to eat.
For the ear examines words, and the mouth discerns foods by the taste.
4 Let us choose judgment for ourselves, Let us know among ourselves what [is] good.
Let us choose judgment for ourselves, and let us consider among ourselves what is best.
5 For Job has said, I have been righteous, And God has turned aside my right,
For Job has said: “I am just, yet God has subverted my judgment.
6 Against my right do I lie? My arrow [is] mortal—without transgression.
For, within my judgment, there is a lie: my vehement barbs are without any sin.”
7 Who [is] a man like Job? He drinks scoffing like water,
What man is there that is like Job, who drinks up derision as if it were water,
8 And he has traveled for company With workers of iniquity, So as to go with men of wickedness.
who accompanies those who work iniquity, and who walks with impious men?
9 For he has said, It does not profit a man When he delights himself with God.
For he has said, “Man will not please God, even if he should travel with him.”
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, prudent men, hear me: impiety is far from God, and iniquity is far from the Almighty.
11 For He repays the work of man to him, And according to the path of each He causes him to find.
For he will restore to man his works, and according to the ways of each, he will repay them.
12 Indeed, truly, God does not do wickedly, And the Mighty does not pervert judgment.
For truly, God will not condemn in vain, nor will the Almighty repudiate judgment.
13 Who has inspected for Himself the earth? And who has placed all the habitable world?
What other is established over the earth? Or whom has he placed over the world, which he made?
14 If He sets His heart on him, [If] He gathers His Spirit and His breath to Himself,
But, if he directs his heart towards him, he will draw his spirit and breath to himself.
15 All flesh expires together, And man returns to dust.
All flesh will fail together, and man will return to ashes.
16 And if [there is] understanding, hear this, Give ear to the voice of my words.
Therefore, if you have understanding, hear what is said, and heed the sound of my eloquence.
17 Indeed, does one hating justice govern? Or do you condemn the Most Just?
Is he that does not love judgment able to be corrected? And how can you so greatly condemn him who is just?
18 Who has said to a king, Worthless, To princes, Wicked?
He says to the king, “You are an apostate.” He calls commanders impious.
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.
He does not accept the reputation of leaders; nor does he recognize the tyrant as he contends against the poor. For all are 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 will die suddenly, and the people will be troubled in the middle of the night, but they will pass through it, and the violent will be taken away without a hand.
21 For His eyes [are] on the ways of each, And He sees all his steps.
For his eyes are upon the ways of men, and he examines all of their steps.
22 There is no darkness nor death-shade, For workers of iniquity to be hidden there;
There is no darkness and no shadow of death, where those who work iniquity may be hidden.
23 For He does not permit man anymore, To go to God in judgment,
For it is no longer within the power of man to enter into judgment with God.
24 He breaks the mighty—no searching! And He appoints others in their stead.
He will break into many innumerable pieces, and he will cause others to stand up in their place.
25 Therefore He knows their works, And He has overturned by night, And they are bruised.
For he knows their works, and, as a result, he will bring the night, and they will be crushed.
26 As wicked He has struck them, In the place of beholders.
Just as the impious do, he has struck them in a place where they can be seen.
27 Because that against right They have turned aside from after Him, And have considered none of His ways,
They, as if with great diligence, have withdrawn from him, and they refused to understand all his ways,
28 To cause to come to Him The cry of the poor, And He hears the cry of the afflicted.
so that they caused the outcry of the needy to reach him, and he heard the voice 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.
For, when he grants peace, who is there that can condemn? When he hides his face, who is there that can contemplate him, either among the nations, or among all men?
30 From the reigning of a profane man, From the snares of a people;
He causes a hypocritical man to reign because of the sins of the people.
31 For has any said to God: I have taken away, I do not do corruptly,
Therefore, since I have been speaking about God, I will not prevent you from doing the same.
32 Besides [that which] I see, You show me, If I have done iniquity—I do not add?
If I have erred, you may teach me; if I have spoken unfairly, I will add no more.
33 Does He repay by you, that you have refused—That you choose, and not I? And what you have known, speak.
Does God require this of you because it is displeasing to you? For you were the first to speak, and not I. But if you know something better, speak.
34 Let men of heart say to me, And a wise man is listening to me:
Let men of understanding speak to me, and let a wise man listen to me.
35 Job—he does not speak with knowledge, And his words [are] not with wisdom.
But Job has been speaking foolishly, and his words contain unsound teaching.
36 My Father! Let Job be tried—to victory, Because of answers for men of iniquity,
My father, let Job be tested even to the end; may you not retreat from a man of iniquity.
37 For he adds to his sin, He vomits transgression among us, And multiplies his sayings to God.”
For he adds blasphemy on top of his sins; nevertheless, let him be constrained to be among us, and then let him provoke God to judgment with his speeches.
