Job 34
1 Furthermore Elihu responded, and said: —
Moreover Elihu answered and said,
2 Hear, ye wise men, my words, and, ye who know, give ear unto me;
Hear my words, ye wise [men]; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
3 For, the ear, trieth words, as, the palate, tasteth in eating.
For the ear trieth words, as the palate tasteth 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 know among ourselves what is good!
5 For Job hath said—I am righteous, But, GOD, hath turned away my right;
For Job hath said, I am righteous, and God hath taken away my judgment:
6 Concerning mine own right, shall I tell a falsehood? Incurable is my disease—not for any transgression.
Should I lie against my right? My wound is incurable without transgression.
7 What man is like Job? He drinketh in scoffing like water;
What man is like Job? he drinketh up scorning like water,
8 And is on the way to keep company, with the workers of iniquity, and to walk with lawless men.
And goeth in company with workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
9 For he hath said, It profiteth not a man, when, his good pleasure, is with God.
For he hath said, It profiteth not a man if he delight himself 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 hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be wickedness from God, and wrong from 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.
For a man's work will he render to him, and cause every one to find according to [his] way.
12 Nay, verily, GOD, will not condemn unjustly, —nor, the Almighty, pervert justice.
Yea, surely, God acteth not wickedly, and the Almighty perverteth not judgment.
13 Who set him in charge of the earth? Or who appointed [him] the whole world?
Who hath entrusted to him the earth? and who hath disposed the whole world?
14 If he should set against him his heart, His spirit and his inspiration, unto himself he should withdraw.
If he only thought of himself, [and] gathered unto him his spirit and his breath,
15 All flesh together, would cease to breathe, and, the earth-born, unto dust, would return.
All flesh would expire together, and man would return to the dust.
16 If then [thou hast] understanding, hear this, Give thou ear to the teaching of my words: —
If now [thou hast] understanding, hear this: give ear to the voice of my words!
17 Shall, the very hater of right, control? Or, the just—the mighty one, wilt thou condemn?
Should he that hateth right indeed govern? and wilt thou condemn the All-just?
18 Doth one say to a king, Abandoned one! Or, Lawless one! unto nobles?
Shall one say to a king, Belial? to nobles, 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.
[How then to him] that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich man more than the 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;
In a moment they die, even at midnight the people are convulsed and pass away; and the strong are taken away without hand.
21 For, his eyes, are on the ways of a man, and, all his footsteps, he beholdeth, —
For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his steps.
22 No darkness, and no death-shade, where the workers of iniquity may hide.
There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 For, unto no man, doth he appoint a repetition, —in going unto GOD in judgment;
For he doth not long consider a man, to bring him before God in judgment.
24 He shattereth mighty ones unsearchably, and setteth up others in their stead:
He breaketh in pieces mighty men without inquiry, and setteth others in their stead;
25 Therefore, he observeth their works, —and overturneth [them] in a night, and they are crushed;
Since he knoweth their actions; and he overthroweth [them] in the night, and they are crushed.
26 In the place of lawless men, hath he chastised them, in presence of beholders.
He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others,
27 Forasmuch, as they turned from following him, and, none of his ways, did they teach;
Because they have turned back from him, and would consider none of his ways;
28 Causing to reach him the outcry of the poor, Yea, the outcry of the oppressed, he heareth.
So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry 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,
When he giveth quietness, who then will disturb? and when he hideth [his] face, who shall behold him? and this towards a nation, or towards a man alike;
30 That impious men may not reign, nor be ensnarers of the people.
That the ungodly man reign not, that the people be not ensnared.
31 For, unto GOD, hath one [ever] said—I have borne punishment, I will not be perverse;
For hath he said unto God, I bear [chastisement], I will not offend;
32 What I see not, do, thou, shew me, If, perverseness, I have wrought, I will do it no more?
What I see not, teach thou me; if I have done wrong, I will do so no 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!
Shall he recompense according to thy mind? for thou hast refused [his judgment]; for thou so choosest, and not I; speak then what thou knowest.
34 The men of mind, will say to me, yea any wise man hearkening unto me: —
Men of understanding will say to me, and a wise man who heareth me:
35 Job, without knowledge, doth speak, and, his words, are not with discretion.
Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were not with intelligence.
36 Would that Job might be tested to the uttermost, for replying with the men of iniquity:
Would that Job may be tried unto the end, because of [his] answers after the manner of evil men!
37 For he addeth—unto his sin—rebellion, In our midst, he clappeth his hands, and multiplieth his sayings against GOD.
For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth [his hands] among us, and multiplieth his words against God.
