Job 34
1 Moreover, Elihu continued to speak:
And Elihu commenced, and said,
2 “Listen to my words, you wise men; hear me, you who have knowledge.
Hear, O ye wise men, my words; and ye that have knowledge, give ear unto me.
3 For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food.
For the ear proveth words, as the palate tasteth the 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 just: let us acknowledge between ourselves what is good.
5 For Job has said, 'I am righteous, but God has taken away my rights.
For Job hath said, “I am righteous; and God hath taken away justice from me.
6 Regardless of my rights, I am considered to be a liar. My wound is incurable, although I am without sin.'
Should I lie concerning the justice due me? incurable is [my wound from] the arrow I bear in me without any transgression.”
7 What man is like Job, who drinks up mockery like water,
What man is there like Job, who drinketh scorning like water,
8 who goes around in the company of those who do evil, and who walks with wicked men?
And is on the road to keep company with the wrong-doers, and to walk with men of wickedness?
9 For he has said, 'It is no use to a person to take pleasure in doing what God wants.'
For he hath said, “It profiteth a man nothing when he acteth according to the pleasure of 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 ye men of sense hearken unto me: far is it from God to practise wickedness; and from the Almighty to do wrong!
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 son of earth doth he recompense unto him, and according to the path of man doth he permit things to occur to him.
12 Indeed, God does nothing wicked, nor does the Almighty ever pervert justice.
Yea, surely God will not condemn unjustly, nor will the Almighty pervert justice.
13 Who put him in charge over the earth? Who put the whole world under him?
Who hath given him a charge concerning the earth? or who hath intrusted [him] 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 upon man, he would gather unto himself his spirit and his breath:
15 then all flesh would perish together; mankind would return to dust again.
All flesh would perish together, and the son of earth would return again unto dust.
16 If now you have understanding, listen to this; listen to the sound of my words.
If then thou wishest to understand, hear this: give ear to the sound of my words.
17 Can one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn God, who is righteous and mighty?
Is it possible that he who hateth justice should govern? or wilt thou condemn the righteous mighty One?
18 God, who says to a king, 'You are vile,' or says to nobles, 'You are wicked'?
[Is it fit] to say to a king, Thou art worthless? and to princes, 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.
Whereas he is one that showeth no favor to chieftains, and distinguisheth not the rich before the indigent; for all of them 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 will they die, and in the midst of the night; people are moved, and pass away: and the mighty will be removed without a human hand.
21 For God's eyes are upon a person's ways; he sees all his steps.
For big eyes are upon the ways of man, and all his steps doth he see.
22 There is no darkness, no thick gloom where the doers of iniquity may hide themselves.
There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the evil-doers can 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 need not direct [his attention] a long time upon man, that he should enter into judgment before God.
24 He breaks mighty men into pieces for their ways that need no further investigation; he puts others in their places.
He breaketh down mighty men without [long] searching, and placeth others in their stead.
25 In this way he has knowledge of their deeds; he overthrows these people in the night; they are destroyed.
For the reason that he knoweth their deeds: therefore he overturneth them in the night, and they are crushed.
26 In the open sight of others, he kills them for their wicked deeds like criminals
Among wicked men doth he strike them, in the place where [many] see them:
27 because they turned away from following him and refused to acknowledge any of his ways.
Because they have departed from following him, and have not considered all his ways.
28 In this way, they made the cry of poor people come to him; he heard the cry of afflicted people.
Bringing before them the cry of the indigent, and the cry of the afflicted which he had to hear.
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 now granteth rest, who will condemn [him]! and when he hideth his face, who can behold him? whether it be against a nation, or against one man, it is the same:
30 so that a godless man may not rule, so that there may be no one to entrap people.
That no hypocritical man may reign, that such shall not be a mare to the people.
31 Suppose someone says to God, 'I am certainly guilty, but I will not sin any longer;
For truly it is only fitting to say unto God, “I bear [cheerfully], I will not do any wrong;
32 teach me what I cannot see; I have committed sin, but I will do it no longer.'
What I cannot see myself, do thou truly teach me; if I have done what is unjust, I will do so 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.
Should he then according to thy view send a recompense, because thou hast rejected him? “Because thou must choose, and not I?” and what thou knowest, do speak.
34 Men of understanding will say to me— indeed, every wise man who hears me will say,
Men of sense will say unto me, and every wise man who heareth me,
35 'Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without wisdom.'
That Job hath not spoken with knowledge, and that his words are without intelligence.
36 If only Job were put on trial in the smallest details of his case because of his talking like wicked men.
Oh that Job may therefore be probed continually, in order to give answers against sinful men.
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 addeth unto his sin transgression: among us he uttereth too many loud words, and multiplieth his speeches against God.
