Job 35

1 Moreover Elihu continued, saying,

Moreover Elihu answered and said,

2 “Do you think this is just when you say, 'My right before God'?

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

3 For you ask, 'What use is it to me?' and, 'Would I be better off if I had sinned?'

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

4 I will answer you, both you and your friends.

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

5 Look up at the sky, and see it; see the sky, which is higher than you.

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

6 If you have sinned, what harm do you do to God? If your transgressions pile up high, what do you do to him?

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

7 If you are righteous, what can you give to him? What will he receive from your hand?

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

8 Your wickedness may hurt a man, as you are a man, and your righteousness might benefit another son of man.

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

9 Because of many acts of oppression, people cry out; they call for help from the arms of mighty men.

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

10 But no one says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night,

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

11 who teaches us more than he teaches the beasts of the earth, and who makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?'

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

12 There they cry out, but God gives no answer because of the pride of evil men.

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

13 God will certainly not hear a foolish cry; the Almighty will pay no attention to it.

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

14 How much less will he answer you if you say that you do not see him, that your case is before him, and that you are waiting for him!

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

15 Now you say that his anger does not punish, and he does not take even a litte notice of transgression.

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

16 So Job opens his mouth only to speak foolishness; he piles up words without knowledge.”

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