Job 34
1 Moreover, Elihu continued to speak:
Then Elihu continued:
2 “Listen to my words, you wise men; hear me, you who have knowledge.
“Hear my words, O wise men; give ear to me, O men of learning.
3 For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food.
For the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food.
4 Let us choose for ourselves what is just: let us discover among ourselves what is good.
Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.
5 For Job has said, 'I am righteous, but God has taken away my rights.
For Job has declared, ‘I am righteous, yet God has deprived me of justice.
6 Regardless of my rights, I am considered to be a liar. My wound is incurable, although I am without sin.'
Would I lie about my case? 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 derision like water?
8 who goes around in the company of those who do evil, and who walks with wicked men?
He keeps company with evildoers and walks with wicked men.
9 For he has said, 'It is no use to a person to take pleasure in doing what God wants.'
For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.’
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 listen to me, O men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wrong, and from the Almighty to act unjustly.
11 For he pays back a person's work; he makes every man come upon the reward of his own ways.
For according to a man’s deeds He repays him; according to a man’s ways He brings consequences.
12 Indeed, God does nothing wicked, nor does the Almighty ever pervert justice.
Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
13 Who put him in charge over the earth? Who put the whole world under him?
Who gave Him charge over the earth? Who appointed Him over 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 were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath,
15 then all flesh would perish together; mankind would return to dust again.
all flesh would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.
16 If now you have understanding, listen to this; listen to the sound of my words.
If you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words.
17 Can one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn God, who is righteous and mighty?
Could one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One,
18 God, who says to a king, 'You are vile,' or says to nobles, 'You are wicked'?
who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’ and to nobles, ‘You 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 is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all 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.
They die in an instant, in the middle of the night. The people convulse and pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.
21 For God's eyes are upon a person's ways; he sees all his steps.
For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step.
22 There is no darkness, no thick gloom where the doers of iniquity may hide themselves.
There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity can hide.
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 God need not examine a man further or have him approach for judgment.
24 He breaks mighty men into pieces for their ways that need no further investigation; he puts others in their places.
He shatters the mighty without inquiry and sets up others in their place.
25 In this way he has knowledge of their deeds; he overthrows these people in the night; they are destroyed.
Therefore, He recognizes their deeds; He overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.
26 In the open sight of others, he kills them for their wicked deeds like criminals
He strikes them for their wickedness in full view,
27 because they turned away from following him and refused to acknowledge any of his ways.
because they turned aside from Him and had no regard for 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.
They caused the cry of the poor to come before Him, and He heard the outcry 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,
But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation,
30 so that a godless man may not rule, so that there may be no one to entrap people.
that godless men should not rule or lay snares for the people.
31 Suppose someone says to God, 'I am certainly guilty, but I will not sin any longer;
Suppose someone says to God, ‘I have endured my punishment; I will offend no more.
32 teach me what I cannot see; I have committed sin, but I will do it no longer.'
Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’
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.
Should God repay you on your own terms when you have disavowed His? You must choose, not I; so tell me what you know.
34 Men of understanding will say to me— indeed, every wise man who hears me will say,
Men of understanding will declare to me, and the wise men who hear me will say:
35 'Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without wisdom.'
‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’
36 If only Job were put on trial in the smallest details of his case because of his talking like wicked men.
If only Job were tried to the utmost for answering like a wicked man.
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands in mockery in our midst; he piles up words against God.”
For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”
