Job 34
1 And Elihu answers and says:
And Elihu commenced, and said,
2 “Hear, O wise men, my words, And, O knowing ones, give ear to me.
Hear, O ye wise men, my words; and ye that have knowledge, give ear unto me.
3 For the ear tries words, And the palate tastes to eat.
For the ear proveth words, as the palate tasteth the food.
4 Let us choose judgment for ourselves, Let us know among ourselves what [is] good.
Let us choose for ourselves what is just: let us acknowledge between ourselves what is good.
5 For Job has said, I have been righteous, And God has turned aside my right,
For Job hath said, “I am righteous; and God hath taken away justice from me.
6 Against my right do I lie? My arrow [is] mortal—without transgression.
Should I lie concerning the justice due me? incurable is [my wound from] the arrow I bear in me without any transgression.”
7 Who [is] a man like Job? He drinks scoffing like water,
What man is there like Job, who drinketh scorning like water,
8 And he has traveled for company With workers of iniquity, So as to go with men of wickedness.
And is on the road to keep company with the wrong-doers, and to walk with men of wickedness?
9 For he has said, It does not profit a man When he delights himself with God.
For he hath said, “It profiteth a man nothing when he acteth according to the pleasure of 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 ye men of sense hearken unto me: far is it from God to practise wickedness; and from the Almighty to do wrong!
11 For He repays the work of man to him, And according to the path of each He causes him to find.
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.
12 Indeed, truly, God does not do wickedly, And the Mighty does not pervert judgment.
Yea, surely God will not condemn unjustly, nor will the Almighty pervert justice.
13 Who has inspected for Himself the earth? And who has placed all the habitable world?
Who hath given him a charge concerning the earth? or who hath intrusted [him] 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 upon man, he would gather unto himself his spirit and his breath:
15 All flesh expires together, And man returns to dust.
All flesh would perish together, and the son of earth would return again unto dust.
16 And if [there is] understanding, hear this, Give ear to the voice of my words.
If then thou wishest to understand, hear this: give ear to the sound of my words.
17 Indeed, does one hating justice govern? Or do you condemn the Most Just?
Is it possible that he who hateth justice should govern? or wilt thou condemn the righteous mighty One?
18 Who has said to a king, Worthless, To princes, Wicked?
[Is it fit] to say to a king, Thou art worthless? and to princes, Ye 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.
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.
20 [In] a moment they die, And at midnight people shake, And they pass away, And they remove the mighty without hand.
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.
21 For His eyes [are] on the ways of each, And He sees all his steps.
For big eyes are upon the ways of man, and all his steps doth he see.
22 There is no darkness nor death-shade, For workers of iniquity to be hidden there;
There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the evil-doers can hide themselves.
23 For He does not permit man anymore, To go to God in judgment,
For he need not direct [his attention] a long time upon man, that he should enter into judgment before God.
24 He breaks the mighty—no searching! And He appoints others in their stead.
He breaketh down mighty men without [long] searching, and placeth others in their stead.
25 Therefore He knows their works, And He has overturned by night, And they are bruised.
For the reason that he knoweth their deeds: therefore he overturneth them in the night, and they are crushed.
26 As wicked He has struck them, In the place of beholders.
Among wicked men doth he strike them, in the place where [many] see them:
27 Because that against right They have turned aside from after Him, And have considered none of His ways,
Because they have departed from following him, and have not considered all his ways.
28 To cause to come to Him The cry of the poor, And He hears the cry of the afflicted.
Bringing before them the cry of the indigent, and the cry of the afflicted which he had to hear.
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.
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:
30 From the reigning of a profane man, From the snares of a people;
That no hypocritical man may reign, that such shall not be a mare to the people.
31 For has any said to God: I have taken away, I do not do corruptly,
For truly it is only fitting to say unto God, “I bear [cheerfully], I will not do any wrong;
32 Besides [that which] I see, You show me, If I have done iniquity—I do not add?
What I cannot see myself, do thou truly teach me; if I have done what is unjust, I will do so no more.”
33 Does He repay by you, that you have refused—That you choose, and not I? And what you have known, speak.
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.
34 Let men of heart say to me, And a wise man is listening to me:
Men of sense will say unto me, and every wise man who heareth me,
35 Job—he does not speak with knowledge, And his words [are] not with wisdom.
That Job hath not spoken with knowledge, and that his words are without intelligence.
36 My Father! Let Job be tried—to victory, Because of answers for men of iniquity,
Oh that Job may therefore be probed continually, in order to give answers against sinful men.
37 For he adds to his sin, He vomits transgression among us, And multiplies his sayings to God.”
For he addeth unto his sin transgression: among us he uttereth too many loud words, and multiplieth his speeches against God.
