Job 35

1 Then Elihu also said this:

Moreover Elihu answered and said,

2 “[Job, ] do you think that what you said is right/correct? You say, ‘God knows that I am innocent,’

Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God's?

3 and you say [to God], ‘What good have I received for not sinning? What benefit have I received from that?’ [DOU, RHQ]

For thou hast asked of what profit it is unto thee: what do I gain more than if I had sinned?

4 [Well, ] I will answer you, and I will answer your three friends, too.

I will reply to thee in words, and to thy companions with thee.

5 “[Job], look up at the sky; look at the clouds that are high above you and realize [that God is far above everything].

Look unto the heavens and see; and survey the skies: they are higher than thou.

6 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].

If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? If thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

7 And if you are righteous, does that help God? No, he is not benefited by anything that you do [DOU].

If thou be righteous, what givest thou to him? or what doth he receive of thy hand?

8 It is other people who suffer because of the wicked things that you do, but by doing good things for people, you help them.

Thy wickedness [may affect] a man as thou [art], and thy righteousness a son of man.

9 “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.

By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry; they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty:

10 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.

But none saith, Where is God my Maker, who giveth songs in the night,

11 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!’

Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowl of the heavens?

12 People cry out [for help], but God does not answer them, because those who cry out are proud and evil people.

There they cry, and he answereth not, because of the pride of evil men.

13 It is useless for them to cry out, because God, the Almighty One, does not pay any attention to what they say.

Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

14 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!

Although thou sayest thou dost not see him, judgment is before him, therefore wait for him.

15 Furthermore, [you say that] because he does not pay attention when people commit sins, he does not become angry and punish them.

But now, because he hath not visited in his anger, doth not [Job] know [his] great arrogancy?

16 You say things that are useless; you say a lot of things without knowing [what you are talking about].”

For Job hath opened his mouth in vanity, and made words abundant without knowledge.