Job 34
1 Furthermore Elihu responded, and said: —
And Elius continued, and said,
2 Hear, ye wise men, my words, and, ye who know, give ear unto me;
Hear me, ye wise men; hearken, ye that have knowledge.
3 For, the ear, trieth words, as, the palate, tasteth in eating.
For the ear tries words, and the mouth tastes meat.
4 What is right, let us choose 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 hath said—I am righteous, But, GOD, hath turned away my right;
For Job has said, I am righteous: the Lord has removed my judgment.
6 Concerning mine own right, shall I tell a falsehood? Incurable is my disease—not for any transgression.
And he has erred in my judgment: my wound is severe without unrighteousness [of mine].
7 What man is like Job? He drinketh in scoffing like water;
What man is as Job, drinking scorning like water?
8 And is on the way to keep company, with the workers of iniquity, and to walk with lawless men.
[saying], I have not sinned, nor committed ungodliness, nor had fellowship with workers of iniquity, to go with the ungodly.
9 For he hath said, It profiteth not a man, when, his good pleasure, is 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 Wherefore, ye men of mind, hearken unto me, —Far be it, that, GOD, should be lawless, or, the Almighty, be perverse!
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, what any son of earth doeth, he repayeth him, and, according to every man’s course, he causeth 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 Nay, verily, GOD, will not condemn unjustly, —nor, the Almighty, pervert justice.
And thinkest thou that the Lord will do wrong, or will the Almighty who made the earth wrest judgment?
13 Who set him in charge of the earth? Or who appointed [him] the whole world?
And who is he that made [the whole world] under heaven, and all things therein?
14 If he should set against him his heart, His spirit and his inspiration, unto himself he should withdraw.
For if he would confine, and restrain his spirit with himself;
15 All flesh together, would cease to breathe, and, the earth-born, unto dust, would return.
all flesh would die together, and every mortal would return to the earth, whence also he was formed.
16 If then [thou hast] understanding, hear this, Give thou ear to the teaching of my words: —
Take heed lest he rebuke [thee]: hear this, hearken to the voice of words.
17 Shall, the very hater of right, control? Or, the just—the mighty one, wilt thou condemn?
Behold then the one that hates iniquities, and that destroys the wicked, who is for ever just.
18 Doth one say to a king, Abandoned one! Or, Lawless one! unto nobles?
[He is] ungodly that says to a king, Thou art a transgressor, [that says] to princes, O most ungodly one.
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.
[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, even in the middle of the night, —A people are convulsed when they pass away, A mighty one is removed, 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 a man, and, all his footsteps, he beholdeth, —
For he surveys the works of men, and nothing of what they do has escaped him.
22 No darkness, and no death-shade, where the workers of iniquity may hide.
Neither shall there be a place for the workers of iniquity to hide themselves.
23 For, unto no man, doth he appoint a repetition, —in going unto GOD in judgment;
For he will not lay upon a man more [than right].
24 He shattereth mighty ones unsearchably, and setteth up 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 observeth their works, —and overturneth [them] in a night, and they are crushed;
Who discovers their works, and will bring night about [upon them], and they shall be brought low.
26 In the place of lawless men, hath he chastised them, in presence of beholders.
And he quite destroys the ungodly, for they are seen before him.
27 Forasmuch, as they turned from following him, and, none of his ways, did they teach;
Because they turned aside from the law of God, and did not regard his ordinances,
28 Causing to reach him the outcry of the poor, Yea, the outcry of the oppressed, he heareth.
so as to bring before him the cry of the needy; for he will hear the cry of the poor.
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,
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 That impious men may not reign, nor be ensnarers of the people.
causing a hypocrite to be king, because of the waywardness of the people.
31 For, unto GOD, hath one [ever] said—I have borne punishment, I will not be perverse;
For [there is] one that says to the Mighty One, I have received [blessings]; I will not take a pledge:
32 What I see not, do, thou, shew me, If, perverseness, I have wrought, I will do it no more?
I will see apart from myself: do thou shew me if I have done unrighteousness; I will not do [so] any more.
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!
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 The men of mind, will say to me, yea any wise man hearkening unto me: —
Because the wise in heart shall say this, and a wise man listens to my word.
35 Job, without knowledge, doth speak, and, his words, are not with discretion.
But Job has not spoken with understanding, his words are not [uttered] with knowledge.
36 Would that Job might be tested to the uttermost, for replying with the men of iniquity:
Howbeit do thou learn, Job: no longer make answer as the foolish:
37 For he addeth—unto his sin—rebellion, In our midst, he clappeth his hands, and multiplieth his sayings against GOD.
that we add not to our sins: for iniquity will be reckoned against us, if [we] speak many words before the Lord.
