Job 35

1 Moreover Elihu continued, saying,

And Elihu answereth and saith: —

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

This hast thou reckoned for judgment: Thou hast said — '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 sayest, 'What doth it profit Thee! What do I profit from my sin?'

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

I return thee words, and thy friends with thee,

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

Behold attentively the heavens — and see, And behold the clouds, They have been 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 hast sinned, what dost thou against Him? And thy transgressions have been multiplied, What dost thou to Him?

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

If thou hast been righteous, What dost thou give to Him? Or what from thy hand doth He receive?

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

For a man like thyself [is] thy wickedness, And for a son of man thy righteousness.

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

Because of the multitude of oppressions They cause to cry out, They cry because of the arm of the mighty.

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

And none said, 'Where [is] God my maker? Giving 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?'

Teaching us more than the beasts of the earth, Yea, than the fowl of the heavens He maketh us wiser.'

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

There they cry, and He doth not answer, Because of the pride of evil doers.

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

Surely vanity God doth not hear, And the Mighty doth not behold 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!

Yea, though thou sayest thou dost not behold Him, Judgment [is] before Him, and stay for Him.

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

And, now, because there is not, He hath appointed His anger, And He hath not known in great extremity.

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

And Job [with] vanity doth open his mouth, Without knowledge words he multiplieth.