Job 35

1 Moreover Elihu answered,

And Elihu made answer and said,

2 “Do you think this to be your right, or do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s,’

Does it seem to you to be right, and righteousness before God, to say,

3 that you ask, ‘What advantage will it be to you? What profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’

What profit is it to me, and how am I better off than if I had done wrong?

4 I will answer you, and your companions with you.

I will make answer to you and to your friends:

5 Look to the skies, and see. See the skies, which are higher than you.

Let your eyes be turned to the heavens, and lifted up to see the skies; they are higher than you.

6 If you have sinned, what effect do you have against him? If your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?

If you have done wrong, is he any the worse for it? and if your sins are great in number, what is it to him?

7 If you are righteous, what do you give him? Or what does he receive from your hand?

If you are upright, what do you give to him? or what does he take from your hand?

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

Your evil-doing may have an effect on a man like yourself, or your righteousness on a son of man.

9 “By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out. They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty.

Because the hand of the cruel is hard on them, men are making sounds of grief; they are crying out for help because of the arm of the strong.

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

But no one has said, Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night;

11 who teaches us more than the animals of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?’

Who gives us more knowledge than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the heaven?

12 There they cry, but no one answers, because of the pride of evil men.

There they are crying out because of the pride of the evil-doers, but he gives them no answer.

13 Surely God will not hear an empty cry, neither will the Almighty regard it.

But God will not give ear to what is false, or the Ruler of all take note of it;

14 How much less when you say you don’t see him. The cause is before him, and you wait for him!

How much less when you say that you do not see him; that the cause is before him, and you are waiting for him.

15 But now, because he has not visited in his anger, neither does he greatly regard arrogance,

And now ...;

16 therefore Job opens his mouth with empty talk, and he multiplies words without knowledge.”

And Job's mouth is open wide to give out what is of no profit, increasing words without knowledge.