Job 34
1 Moreover, Elihu continued to speak:
Moreover Elihu answered, and said,
2 “Listen to my words, you wise men; hear me, you who have knowledge.
Hear my words, ye wise men, and give ear to me, ye who have knowledge.
3 For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food.
For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food.
4 Let us choose for ourselves what is just: let us discover among ourselves what is good.
Let us choose for us that which is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job has said, 'I am righteous, but God has taken away my rights.
For Job has said, I am righteous, and God has taken away my right.
6 Regardless of my rights, I am considered to be a liar. My wound is incurable, although I am without sin.'
Notwithstanding my right I am accounted a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.
7 What man is like Job, who drinks up mockery like water,
What man is like Job, who drinks up scorning like water,
8 who goes around in the company of those who do evil, and who walks with wicked men?
saying, I have not sinned, nor committed unrighteousness, nor had fellowship with workers of iniquity to go with the profane.
9 For he has said, 'It is no use to a person to take pleasure in doing what God wants.'
For thou should not say, There shall be no visitation to a man, whereas visitation is to him from the Lord.
10 So listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness; far be it from the Almighty that he should commit sin.
Therefore hearken to me, ye men of understanding. Far be it from me to sin before the Lord, and pervert righteousness before the Almighty.
11 For he pays back a person's work; he makes every man come upon the reward of his own ways.
For the work of a man he will render to him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
12 Indeed, God does nothing wicked, nor does the Almighty ever pervert justice.
Yea, certainly God will not do wrong. Neither will the Almighty pervert justice.
13 Who put him in charge over the earth? Who put the whole world under him?
Who gave him a charge over the earth? Or who has disposed the whole world?
14 If he ever set his intentions only on himself, and if he ever gathered back to himself his spirit and his breath,
If he sets his heart upon himself, if he gathers his spirit and his breath to himself,
15 then all flesh would perish together; mankind would return to dust again.
all flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again to dust.
16 If now you have understanding, listen to this; listen to the sound of my words.
If now thou be understanding, hear this. Hearken to the voice of words.
17 Can one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn God, who is righteous and mighty?
Behold thou him who hates lawlessness, and who destroys evil men, who is forever righteousness,
18 God, who says to a king, 'You are vile,' or says to nobles, 'You are wicked'?
him who says to a king, Thou are vile, to ranking men, Ye are wicked,
19 God, who does not show favoritism to leaders and does not acknowledge rich people more than poor, for they all are the work of his hands.
who does not respect the persons of rulers, nor regards the rich more than the poor. For they all are the work of his hands.
20 In a moment they will die; at midnight people will be shaken and will pass away; mighty people will be taken away, but not by human hands.
In a moment they die, even at midnight. The people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away without hand.
21 For God's eyes are upon a person's ways; he sees all his steps.
For his eyes are upon the ways of a man, and he sees all his goings.
22 There is no darkness, no thick gloom where the doers of iniquity may hide themselves.
There is no darkness, nor thick gloom where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 For God does not need to examine a person further; there is no need for any person to go before him in judgment.
For he needs no further to consider a man, that he should go before God in judgment.
24 He breaks mighty men into pieces for their ways that need no further investigation; he puts others in their places.
He breaks in pieces mighty men in ways past finding out, and sets others in their stead.
25 In this way he has knowledge of their deeds; he overthrows these people in the night; they are destroyed.
Therefore he takes knowledge of their works, and he overturns them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
26 In the open sight of others, he kills them for their wicked deeds like criminals
He strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others
27 because they turned away from following him and refused to acknowledge any of his ways.
because they turned aside from following him, and would not have regard in any of his ways,
28 In this way, they made the cry of poor people come to him; he heard the cry of afflicted people.
so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him, and he heard the cry of the afflicted.
29 When he stays silent, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can perceive him? He rules over nation and individual alike,
When he gives quietness, who then can condemn? And when he hides his face, who then can behold him? It is the same whether to a nation, or to a man,
30 so that a godless man may not rule, so that there may be no one to entrap people.
that the profane man not reign, that there be none to ensnare the people.
31 Suppose someone says to God, 'I am certainly guilty, but I will not sin any longer;
For has any said to God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more.
32 teach me what I cannot see; I have committed sin, but I will do it no longer.'
Teach thou me that which I do not see. If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more?
33 Do you think that God will punish that person's sin, since you dislike what God does? You must choose, not I. So say what it is that you know.
Shall his recompense be as thou desire, that thou refuse it? For thou must choose, and not I. Therefore speak what thou know.
34 Men of understanding will say to me— indeed, every wise man who hears me will say,
Men of understanding will say to me, yes, every wise man who hears me,
35 'Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without wisdom.'
Job speaks without knowledge, and his words are without wisdom.
36 If only Job were put on trial in the smallest details of his case because of his talking like wicked men.
But surely not. Learn thou Job not to still give an answer like the foolish,
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands in mockery in our midst; he piles up words against God.”
so that we may not add to our sins, and lawlessness will be reckoned against us, speaking many words before the Lord.
