< Job 34 >
1 And Elihu answereth and saith:
And Elius continued, and said,
2 Hear, O wise men, my words, And, O knowing ones, give ear to me.
Hear me, ye wise men; hearken, ye that have knowledge.
3 For the ear doth try words, And the palate tasteth to eat.
For the ear tries words, and the mouth tastes meat.
4 Judgment let us choose for ourselves, Let us know among ourselves what [is] good.
Let us choose judgment to ourselves: let us know amount ourselves what is right.
5 For Job hath said, 'I have been righteous, And God hath turned aside my right,
For Job has said, I am righteous: the Lord has removed my judgment.
6 Against my right do I lie? Mortal [is] mine arrow — without transgression.'
And he has erred in my judgment: my wound is severe without unrighteousness [of mine].
7 Who [is] a man like Job? He drinketh scoffing like water,
What man is as Job, drinking scorning like water?
8 And he hath travelled for company With workers of iniquity, So as to go with men of wickedness.
[saying], I have not sinned, nor committed ungodliness, nor had fellowship with workers of iniquity, to go with the ungodly.
9 For he hath said, 'It doth not profit a man, When he delighteth himself with God.'
For thou shouldest not say, There shall be no visitation of a man, whereas [there is] a visitation on him from the Lord.
10 Therefore, O men of heart, hearken to me; Far be it from God to do wickedness, And [from] the Mighty to do perverseness:
Wherefore hear me, ye that are wise in heart: far be it from me to sin before the Lord, and to pervert righteousness before the almighty.
11 For the work of man he repayeth to him, And according to the path of each He doth cause him to find.
Yea, he renders to a man accordingly as each of them does, and in a man's path he will find him.
12 Yea, truly, God doth not do wickedly, And the Mighty doth not pervert judgment.
And thinkest thou that the Lord will do wrong, or will the Almighty who made the earth wrest judgment?
13 Who hath inspected for Himself the earth? And who hath placed all the habitable world?
And who is he that made [the whole world] under heaven, and all things therein?
14 If He doth set on him His heart, His spirit and his breath unto Him He gathereth.
For if he would confine, and restrain his spirit with himself;
15 Expire doth all flesh together, And man to dust returneth.
all flesh would die together, and every mortal would return to the earth, whence also he was formed.
16 And if [there is] understanding, hear this, Give ear to the voice of my words.
Take heed lest he rebuke [thee]: hear this, hearken to the voice of words.
17 Yea, doth one hating justice govern? Or the Most Just dost thou condemn?
Behold then the one that hates iniquities, and that destroys the wicked, who is for ever just.
18 Who hath said to a king — 'Worthless,' Unto princes — 'Wicked?'
[He is] ungodly that says to a king, Thou art a transgressor, [that says] to princes, O most ungodly one.
19 That hath not accepted the person of princes, Nor hath known the rich before the poor, For a work of His hands [are] all of them.
[Such a one] as would not reverence the face of an honourable man, neither knows how to give honour to the great, so as that their persons should be respected.
20 [In] a moment they die, and at midnight Shake do people, and they pass away, And they remove the mighty without hand.
But it shall turn out vanity to them, to cry and beseech a man; for they dealt unlawfully, the poor being turned aside [from their right].
21 For His eyes [are] on the ways of each, And all his steps He doth see.
For he surveys the works of men, and nothing of what they do has escaped him.
22 There is no darkness nor death-shade, For workers of iniquity to be hidden there;
Neither shall there be a place for the workers of iniquity to hide themselves.
23 For He doth not suffer man any more, To go unto God in judgment,
For he will not lay upon a man more [than right].
24 He breaketh the mighty — no searching! And He appointeth others in their stead.
For the Lord looks down upon all men, who comprehends unsearchable things, glorious also and excellent things without number.
25 Therefore He knoweth their works, And He hath overturned by night, And they are bruised.
Who discovers their works, and will bring night about [upon them], and they shall be brought low.
26 As wicked He hath stricken them, In the place of beholders.
And he quite destroys the ungodly, for they are seen before him.
27 Because that against right They have turned aside from after Him, And none of His ways have considered wisely,
Because they turned aside from the law of God, and did not regard his ordinances,
28 To cause to come in unto Him The cry of the poor, And the cry of the afflicted He heareth.
so as to bring before him the cry of the needy; for he will hear the cry of the poor.
29 And He giveth rest, and who maketh wrong? And hideth the face, and who beholdeth it? And in reference to a nation and to a man, [It is] the same.
And he will give quiet, and who will condemn? and he will hide his face, and who shall see him? whether [it be done] against a nation, or against a man also:
30 From the reigning of a profane man, From the snares of a people;
causing a hypocrite to be king, because of the waywardness of the people.
31 For unto God hath any said: 'I have taken away, I do not corruptly,
For [there is] one that says to the Mighty One, I have received [blessings]; I will not take a pledge:
32 Besides [that which] I see, shew Thou me, If iniquity I have done — I do not add?'
I will see apart from myself: do thou shew me if I have done unrighteousness; I will not do [so] any more.
33 By thee doth He recompense, That thou hast refused — That thou dost choose, and not I? And what thou hast known, speak.
Will he take vengeance for it on thee, whereas thou wilt put [it] far [from thee]? for thou shalt choose, and not I; and what thou knowest, speak thou.
34 Let men of heart say to me, And a wise man is hearkening to me.
Because the wise in heart shall say this, and a wise man listens to my word.
35 Job — not with knowledge doth he speak, And his words [are] not with wisdom.
But Job has not spoken with understanding, his words are not [uttered] with knowledge.
36 My Father! let Job be tried — unto victory, Because of answers for men of iniquity,
Howbeit do thou learn, Job: no longer make answer as the foolish:
37 For he doth add to his sin, Transgression among us he vomiteth, And multiplieth his sayings to God.
that we add not to our sins: for iniquity will be reckoned against us, if [we] speak many words before the Lord.