Job 34

1 And Elihu answereth and saith:

Furthermore Elihu responded, and said: —

2 Hear, O wise men, my words, And, O knowing ones, give ear to me.

Hear, ye wise men, my words, and, ye who know, give ear unto me;

3 For the ear doth try words, And the palate tasteth to eat.

For, the ear, trieth words, as, the palate, tasteth in eating.

4 Judgment let us choose for ourselves, 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 have been righteous, And God hath turned aside my right,

For Job hath said—I am righteous, But, GOD, hath turned away my right;

6 Against my right do I lie? Mortal [is] mine arrow — without transgression.'

Concerning mine own right, shall I tell a falsehood? Incurable is my disease—not for any transgression.

7 Who [is] a man like Job? He drinketh scoffing like water,

What man is like Job? He drinketh in scoffing like water;

8 And he hath travelled for company With workers of iniquity, So as to go with men of wickedness.

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 doth not profit a man, When he delighteth himself with God.'

For he hath said, It profiteth not a man, when, his good pleasure, is with God.

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, 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 man he repayeth to him, And according to the path of each He doth cause him to find.

For, what any son of earth doeth, he repayeth him, and, according to every man’s course, he causeth him to find.

12 Yea, truly, God doth not do wickedly, And the Mighty doth not pervert judgment.

Nay, verily, GOD, will not condemn unjustly, —nor, the Almighty, pervert justice.

13 Who hath inspected for Himself the earth? And who hath placed all the habitable world?

Who set him in charge of the earth? Or who appointed [him] the whole world?

14 If He doth set on him His heart, His spirit and his breath unto Him He gathereth.

If he should set against him his heart, His spirit and his inspiration, unto himself he should withdraw.

15 Expire doth all flesh together, And man to dust returneth.

All flesh together, would cease to breathe, and, the earth-born, unto dust, would return.

16 And if [there is] understanding, hear this, Give ear to the voice of my words.

If then [thou hast] understanding, hear this, Give thou ear to the teaching of my words: —

17 Yea, doth one hating justice govern? Or the Most Just dost thou condemn?

Shall, the very hater of right, control? Or, the just—the mighty one, wilt thou condemn?

18 Who hath said to a king — 'Worthless,' Unto princes — 'Wicked?'

Doth one say to a king, Abandoned one! Or, Lawless one! unto nobles?

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.

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 die, and at midnight Shake do people, and they pass away, And they remove the mighty 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] on the ways of each, And all his steps He doth see.

For, his eyes, are on the ways of a man, and, all his footsteps, he beholdeth, —

22 There is no darkness nor death-shade, For workers of iniquity to be hidden there;

No darkness, and no death-shade, where the workers of iniquity may hide.

23 For He doth not suffer man any more, To go unto God in judgment,

For, unto no man, doth he appoint a repetition, —in going unto GOD in judgment;

24 He breaketh the mighty — no searching! And He appointeth others in their stead.

He shattereth mighty ones unsearchably, and setteth up others in their stead:

25 Therefore He knoweth their works, And He hath overturned by night, And they are bruised.

Therefore, he observeth their works, —and overturneth [them] in a night, and they are crushed;

26 As wicked He hath stricken them, In the place of beholders.

In the place of lawless men, hath he chastised them, in presence of beholders.

27 Because that against right They have turned aside from after Him, And none of His ways have considered wisely,

Forasmuch, as they turned from following him, and, none of his ways, did they teach;

28 To cause to come in unto Him The cry of the poor, And the cry of the afflicted He heareth.

Causing to reach him the outcry of the poor, Yea, the outcry of the oppressed, he heareth.

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.

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 From the reigning of a profane man, From the snares of a people;

That impious men may not reign, nor be ensnarers of the people.

31 For unto God hath any said: 'I have taken away, I do not corruptly,

For, unto GOD, hath one [ever] said—I have borne punishment, I will not be perverse;

32 Besides [that which] I see, shew Thou me, If iniquity I have done — I do not add?'

What I see not, do, thou, shew me, If, perverseness, I have wrought, I will do it no more?

33 By thee doth He recompense, That thou hast refused — That thou dost choose, and not I? And what thou hast known, speak.

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 heart say to me, And a wise man is hearkening to me.

The men of mind, will say to me, yea any wise man hearkening unto me: —

35 Job — not with knowledge doth he speak, And his words [are] not with wisdom.

Job, without knowledge, doth speak, and, his words, are not with discretion.

36 My Father! let Job be tried — unto victory, Because of answers for men of iniquity,

Would that Job might be tested to the uttermost, for replying with the men of iniquity:

37 For he doth add to his sin, Transgression among us he vomiteth, And multiplieth his sayings to God.

For he addeth—unto his sin—rebellion, In our midst, he clappeth his hands, and multiplieth his sayings against GOD.