Job 34
1 Furthermore Elihu answered and said,
Furthermore Elihu responded, and said: —
2 Hear my words, O ye wise [men]; and give ear to me, ye that have knowledge.
Hear, ye wise men, my words, and, ye who know, give ear unto me;
3 For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth food.
For, the ear, trieth words, as, the palate, tasteth in eating.
4 Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what [is] good.
What is right, let us choose for ourselves, Let us know, among ourselves, what is good;
5 For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.
For Job hath said—I am righteous, But, GOD, hath turned away my right;
6 Should I lie against my right? my wound [is] incurable without transgression.
Concerning mine own right, shall I tell a falsehood? Incurable is my disease—not for any transgression.
7 What man [is] like Job, [who] drinketh up scorning like water?
What man is like Job? He drinketh in scoffing like water;
8 Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
And is on the way to keep company, with the workers of iniquity, and to walk with lawless men.
9 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.
For he hath said, It profiteth not a man, when, his good pleasure, is with God.
10 Therefore hearken to me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, [that he should do] wickedness; and [from] the Almighty, [that he should commit] iniquity.
Wherefore, ye men of mind, hearken unto me, —Far be it, that, GOD, should be lawless, or, the Almighty, be perverse!
11 For the work of a man he shall render to him, and cause every man to find according to [his] ways.
For, what any son of earth doeth, he repayeth him, and, according to every man’s course, he causeth him to find.
12 Yes, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.
Nay, verily, GOD, will not condemn unjustly, —nor, the Almighty, pervert justice.
13 Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?
Who set him in charge of the earth? Or who appointed [him] the whole world?
14 If he should set his heart upon man, [if] he should gather to himself his spirit and his breath;
If he should set against him his heart, His spirit and his inspiration, unto himself he should withdraw.
15 All flesh would perish together, and man would turn again to dust.
All flesh together, would cease to breathe, and, the earth-born, unto dust, would return.
16 If now [thou hast] understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
If then [thou hast] understanding, hear this, Give thou ear to the teaching of my words: —
17 Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?
Shall, the very hater of right, control? Or, the just—the mighty one, wilt thou condemn?
18 [Is it fit] to say to a king, [Thou art] wicked? [and] to princes, [Ye are] ungodly?
Doth one say to a king, Abandoned one! Or, Lawless one! unto nobles?
19 [How much less to him] that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all [are] the work of his hands.
For he hath shewn no respect of persons unto princes, neither hath he recognised the rich rather than the poor? For, the work of his hands, are they all.
20 In a moment they shall die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.
In a moment, they die, even in the middle of the night, —A people are convulsed when they pass away, A mighty one is removed, without hand;
21 For his eyes [are] upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
For, his eyes, are on the ways of a man, and, all his footsteps, he beholdeth, —
22 [There is] no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
No darkness, and no death-shade, where the workers of iniquity may hide.
23 For he will not lay upon man more [than right]; that he should enter into judgment with God.
For, unto no man, doth he appoint a repetition, —in going unto GOD in judgment;
24 He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.
He shattereth mighty ones unsearchably, and setteth up others in their stead:
25 Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth [them] in the night, so that they are destroyed.
Therefore, he observeth their works, —and overturneth [them] in a night, and they are crushed;
26 He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others;
In the place of lawless men, hath he chastised them, in presence of beholders.
27 Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways:
Forasmuch, as they turned from following him, and, none of his ways, did they teach;
28 So that they cause the cry of the poor to come to him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.
Causing to reach him the outcry of the poor, Yea, the outcry of the oppressed, he heareth.
29 When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth [his] face, who then can behold him? whether [it be done] against a nation, or against a man only:
When, he, giveth quiet, who then shall condemn? And, when he hideth [his] face, who then shall sing of him? whether unto a nation or unto mankind altogether,
30 That the hypocrite may not reign, lest the people should be ensnared.
That impious men may not reign, nor be ensnarers of the people.
31 Surely it is meet to be said to God, I have borne [chastisement], I will not offend [any more]:
For, unto GOD, hath one [ever] said—I have borne punishment, I will not be perverse;
32 [That which] I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.
What I see not, do, thou, shew me, If, perverseness, I have wrought, I will do it no more?
33 [Should it be] according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou shalt refuse, or whether thou shalt choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.
According to thy mind, must he requite it, that thou hast refused? For, thou, must choose, and not, I, What then thou knowest, speak!
34 Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken to me.
The men of mind, will say to me, yea any wise man hearkening unto me: —
35 Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words [were] without wisdom.
Job, without knowledge, doth speak, and, his words, are not with discretion.
36 My desire [is that] Job may be tried to the end, because of [his] answers for wicked men.
Would that Job might be tested to the uttermost, for replying with the men of iniquity:
37 For he addeth rebellion to his sin, he clappeth [his hands] among us, and multiplieth his words against God.
For he addeth—unto his sin—rebellion, In our midst, he clappeth his hands, and multiplieth his sayings against GOD.
