Job 34
1 Furthermore Elihu responded, and said: —
FURTHERMORE Elihu answered and said,
2 Hear, ye wise men, my words, and, ye who know, give ear unto me;
Hear my words, O 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 mouth tasteth meat.
4 What is right, let us choose for ourselves, Let us know, among ourselves, what is good;
Let us choose to us judgment: 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, who 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.
Which goeth in company with the 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 a man nothing that he should delight himself with 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 it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
11 For, what any son of earth doeth, he repayeth him, and, according to every man’s course, he causeth him to find.
For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
12 Nay, verily, GOD, will not condemn unjustly, —nor, the Almighty, pervert justice.
Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.
13 Who set him in charge of the earth? Or who appointed [him] the whole world?
Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or 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 set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;
15 All flesh together, would cease to breathe, and, the earth-born, unto dust, would return.
All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto 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: hearken to the voice of my words.
17 Shall, the very hater of right, control? Or, the just—the mighty one, wilt thou condemn?
Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?
18 Doth one say to a king, Abandoned one! Or, Lawless one! unto nobles?
Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?
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 much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are 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 shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be 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 goings.
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 will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God.
24 He shattereth mighty ones unsearchably, and setteth up others in their stead:
He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.
25 Therefore, he observeth their works, —and overturneth [them] in a night, and they are crushed;
Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
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 turned back from him, and would not consider any 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 can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:
30 That impious men may not reign, nor be ensnarers of the people.
That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.
31 For, unto GOD, hath one [ever] said—I have borne punishment, I will not be perverse;
Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:
32 What I see not, do, thou, shew me, If, perverseness, I have wrought, I will do it no more?
That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do 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!
Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.
34 The men of mind, will say to me, yea any wise man hearkening unto me: —
Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.
35 Job, without knowledge, doth speak, and, his words, are not with discretion.
Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom.
36 Would that Job might be tested to the uttermost, for replying with the men of iniquity:
My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked 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.
