Job 35
1 Moreover Elihu, responded and said: —
Then Elihu also said this:
2 This, dost thou think to be right? Thou hast said—My righteousness is more than GOD’S.
“[Job, ] do you think that what you said is right/correct? You say, ‘God knows that I am innocent,’
3 For thou dost say, How can one profit by thee? How can I benefit, more than by my sin?
and you say [to God], ‘What good have I received for not sinning? What benefit have I received from that?’ [DOU, RHQ]
4 I, will answer thee plainly, and thy friends with thee.
[Well, ] I will answer you, and I will answer your three friends, too.
5 Look at the heavens and see, —and survey the skies—they are higher than thou.
“[Job], look up at the sky; look at the clouds that are high above you and realize [that God is far above everything].
6 If thou sinnest, what canst thou work against him? Or, if thy transgressions be multiplied, what canst thou do unto him?
If you have sinned, that does not [RHQ] harm God at all. If many times you do things that are wrong, that certainly does not [RHQ] affect him [DOU].
7 If thou art righteous, what canst thou give unto him? Or what, at thy hand, can he accept?
And if you are righteous, does that help God? No, he is not benefited by anything that you do [DOU].
8 Unto a man like thyself, might thy lawlessness [reach], and, unto a son of the earth-born, thy righteousness.
It is other people who suffer because of the wicked things that you do, but by doing good things for people, you help them.
9 By reason of the multitude of oppressions, [men] make outcry, They cry for help, by reason of the arm of the mighty;
“People cry out because of the many things that people do to others to (oppress them/treat them cruelly); they call for help because of the things that powerful people do [MTY] to them.
10 But none saith—Where is GOD my maker, Who giveth songs in the night;
But (no one/none of them) calls out [to God], saying ‘Why does God, my creator, [not help me]? He [should] enable me to sing [joyful] songs, [instead of very sad songs, ] during the night.
11 Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and, beyond the bird of the heavens, giveth us wisdom?
He [should be able to] teach us more than all the wild animals do; he [should] enable us to become wiser than [all] the birds are!’
12 There, [men] make outcry, and he answereth not, because of the arrogance of evil-doers.
People cry out [for help], but God does not answer them, because those who cry out are proud and evil people.
13 Howbeit, vanity, will GOD not hear, Yea, the Almighty, will not regard it.
It is useless for them to cry out, because God, the Almighty One, does not pay any attention to what they say.
14 How much less when thou sayest thou wilt not regard him! The cause, is before him, and thou must wait for him.
So, when you complain that you cannot see God, and you tell him that you are waiting for him [to decide whether or not you should be punished for what you have done], God will not listen to you, either!
15 But, now, because it is not so, [thou sayest] —His anger hath punished, and yet hath he not at all known of transgression;
Furthermore, [you say that] because he does not pay attention when people commit sins, he does not become angry and punish them.
16 Thus, Job, vainly openeth his mouth, Without knowledge, he multiplieth words.
You say things that are useless; you say a lot of things without knowing [what you are talking about].”
