Job 34
1 Furthermore Elihu responded, and said: —
Then Elihu continued:
2 Hear, ye wise men, my words, and, ye who know, give ear unto me;
“Hear my words, O wise men; give ear to me, O men of learning.
3 For, the ear, trieth words, as, the palate, tasteth in eating.
For the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food.
4 What is right, let us choose 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 hath said—I am righteous, But, GOD, hath turned away my right;
For Job has declared, ‘I am righteous, yet God has deprived me of justice.
6 Concerning mine own right, shall I tell a falsehood? Incurable is my disease—not for any transgression.
Would I lie about my case? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7 What man is like Job? He drinketh in scoffing like water;
What man is like Job, who drinks up derision like water?
8 And is on the way to keep company, with the workers of iniquity, and to walk with lawless men.
He keeps company with evildoers and walks with wicked men.
9 For he hath said, It profiteth not a man, when, his good pleasure, is with God.
For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.’
10 Wherefore, ye men of mind, hearken unto me, —Far be it, that, GOD, should be lawless, or, the Almighty, be perverse!
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, what any son of earth doeth, he repayeth him, and, according to every man’s course, he causeth him to find.
For according to a man’s deeds He repays him; according to a man’s ways He brings consequences.
12 Nay, verily, GOD, will not condemn unjustly, —nor, the Almighty, pervert justice.
Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
13 Who set him in charge of the earth? Or who appointed [him] the whole world?
Who gave Him charge over the earth? Who appointed Him over the whole world?
14 If he should set against him his heart, His spirit and his inspiration, unto himself he should withdraw.
If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath,
15 All flesh together, would cease to breathe, and, the earth-born, unto dust, would return.
all flesh would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.
16 If then [thou hast] understanding, hear this, Give thou ear to the teaching of my words: —
If you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words.
17 Shall, the very hater of right, control? Or, the just—the mighty one, wilt thou condemn?
Could one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One,
18 Doth one say to a king, Abandoned one! Or, Lawless one! unto nobles?
who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’
19 For he hath shewn no respect of persons unto princes, neither hath he recognised the rich rather than the poor? For, the work of his hands, are they all.
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, even in the middle of the night, —A people are convulsed when they pass away, A mighty one is removed, 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 a man, and, all his footsteps, he beholdeth, —
For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step.
22 No darkness, and no death-shade, where the workers of iniquity may hide.
There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity can hide.
23 For, unto no man, doth he appoint a repetition, —in going unto GOD in judgment;
For God need not examine a man further or have him approach for judgment.
24 He shattereth mighty ones unsearchably, and setteth up others in their stead:
He shatters the mighty without inquiry and sets up others in their place.
25 Therefore, he observeth their works, —and overturneth [them] in a night, and they are crushed;
Therefore, He recognizes their deeds; He overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.
26 In the place of lawless men, hath he chastised them, in presence of beholders.
He strikes them for their wickedness in full view,
27 Forasmuch, as they turned from following him, and, none of his ways, did they teach;
because they turned aside from Him and had no regard for any of His ways.
28 Causing to reach him the outcry of the poor, Yea, the outcry of the oppressed, he heareth.
They caused the cry of the poor to come before Him, and He heard the outcry of the afflicted.
29 When, he, giveth quiet, who then shall condemn? And, when he hideth [his] face, who then shall sing of him? whether unto a nation or unto mankind altogether,
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 That impious men may not reign, nor be ensnarers of the people.
that godless men should not rule or lay snares for the people.
31 For, unto GOD, hath one [ever] said—I have borne punishment, I will not be perverse;
Suppose someone says to God, ‘I have endured my punishment; I will offend no more.
32 What I see not, do, thou, shew me, If, perverseness, I have wrought, I will do it no more?
Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’
33 According to thy mind, must he requite it, that thou hast refused? For, thou, must choose, and not, I, What then thou knowest, 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 The men of mind, will say to me, yea any wise man hearkening unto me: —
Men of understanding will declare to me, and the wise men who hear me will say:
35 Job, without knowledge, doth speak, and, his words, are not with discretion.
‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’
36 Would that Job might be tested to the uttermost, for replying with the men of iniquity:
If only Job were tried to the utmost for answering like a wicked man.
37 For he addeth—unto his sin—rebellion, In our midst, he clappeth his hands, and multiplieth his sayings against GOD.
For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”
