< Job 35 >

1 And Elihu answers and says:
Elihu spoke moreover, and said,
2 “Have you reckoned this for judgment [when] you have said, My righteousness [is] more than God’s?
Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?
3 For you say, What does it profit You? What do I profit from my sin?
For thou saidst, What advantage will it be to thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?
4 I return words, and your friends with you,
I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.
5 Behold attentively the heavens—and see, And behold the clouds, They have been higher than you.
Look to the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.
6 If you have sinned, what do you do against Him? And your transgressions have been multiplied, What do you do to Him?
If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions are multiplied, what doest thou to him?
7 If you have been righteous, What do you give to Him? Or what does He receive from your hand?
If thou art righteous, what givest thou to him? or what receiveth he from thy hand?
8 For a man like yourself [is] your wickedness, And for a son of man your righteousness.
Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.
9 Because of the multitude of oppressions They cause to cry out, They cry because of the arm of the mighty.
By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.
10 And none said, Where [is] God my Maker? Giving songs in the night,
But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;
11 Teaching us more than the beasts of the earth, Indeed, He makes us wiser than the bird of the heavens.
Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?
12 There they cry, and He does not answer, Because of the pride of evildoers.
There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.
13 Surely God does not hear vanity, And the Mighty does not behold it.
Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.
14 Indeed, though you say you do not behold Him, Judgment [is] before Him, and stays for Him.
Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.
15 And now, because there is not, He has appointed His anger, And He has not known in great extremity.
But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity:
16 And Job opens his mouth [with] vanity, He multiplies words without knowledge.”
Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

< Job 35 >