Job 34
1 Pronuncians itaque Eliu, etiam haec locutus est:
Moreover, Elihu continued to speak:
2 Audite sapientes verba mea, et eruditi auscultate me:
“Listen to my words, you wise men; hear me, you who have knowledge.
3 Auris enim verba probat, et guttur escas gustu diiudicat.
For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food.
4 Iudicium eligamus nobis, et inter nos videamus quid sit melius.
Let us choose for ourselves what is just: let us discover among ourselves what is good.
5 Quia dixit Iob: Iustus sum, et Deus subvertit iudicium meum.
For Job has said, 'I am righteous, but God has taken away my rights.
6 In iudicando enim me, mendacium est: violenta sagitta mea absque ullo peccato.
Regardless of my rights, I am considered to be a liar. My wound is incurable, although I am without sin.'
7 Quis est vir ut est Iob, qui bibit subsannationem quasi aquam:
What man is like Job, who drinks up mockery like water,
8 Qui graditur cum operantibus iniquitatem, et ambulat cum viris impiis?
who goes around in the company of those who do evil, and who walks with wicked men?
9 Dixit enim: Non placebit vir Deo, etiam si cucurrerit cum eo.
For he has said, 'It is no use to a person to take pleasure in doing what God wants.'
10 Ideo viri cordati audite me, absit a Deo impietas, et ab Omnipotente iniquitas.
So listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness; far be it from the Almighty that he should commit sin.
11 Opus enim hominis reddet ei, et iuxta vias singulorum restituet eis.
For he pays back a person's work; he makes every man come upon the reward of his own ways.
12 Vere enim Deus non condemnabit frustra, nec Omnipotens subvertet iudicium.
Indeed, God does nothing wicked, nor does the Almighty ever pervert justice.
13 Quem constituit alium super terram? aut quem posuit super orbem, quem fabricatus est?
Who put him in charge over the earth? Who put the whole world under him?
14 Si direxerit ad eum cor suum, spiritum illius et flatum ad se trahet.
If he ever set his intentions only on himself, and if he ever gathered back to himself his spirit and his breath,
15 Deficiet omnis caro simul, et homo in cinerem revertetur.
then all flesh would perish together; mankind would return to dust again.
16 Si habes ergo intellectum, audi quod dicitur, et ausculta vocem eloquii mei.
If now you have understanding, listen to this; listen to the sound of my words.
17 Numquid qui non amat iudicium, sanari potest? et quomodo tu eum, qui iustus est, in tantum condemnas?
Can one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn God, who is righteous and mighty?
18 Qui dicit regi, apostata: qui vocat duces impios:
God, who says to a king, 'You are vile,' or says to nobles, 'You are wicked'?
19 Qui non accipit personas principum: nec cognovit tyrannum, cum disceptaret contra pauperem: opus enim manuum eius sunt universi.
God, who does not show favoritism to leaders and does not acknowledge rich people more than poor, for they all are the work of his hands.
20 Subito morientur, et in media nocte turbabuntur populi, et pertransibunt, et auferent violentum absque manu.
In a moment they will die; at midnight people will be shaken and will pass away; mighty people will be taken away, but not by human hands.
21 Oculi enim eius super vias hominum, et omnes gressus eorum considerat.
For God's eyes are upon a person's ways; he sees all his steps.
22 Non sunt tenebrae, et non est umbra mortis, ut abscondantur ibi qui operantur iniquitatem.
There is no darkness, no thick gloom where the doers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 Neque enim ultra in hominis potestate est, ut veniat ad Deum in iudicium.
For God does not need to examine a person further; there is no need for any person to go before him in judgment.
24 Conteret multos, et innumerabiles, et stare faciet alios pro eis.
He breaks mighty men into pieces for their ways that need no further investigation; he puts others in their places.
25 Novit enim opera eorum: et idcirco inducet noctem, et conterentur.
In this way he has knowledge of their deeds; he overthrows these people in the night; they are destroyed.
26 Quasi impios percussit eos in loco videntium.
In the open sight of others, he kills them for their wicked deeds like criminals
27 Qui quasi de industria recesserunt ab eo, et omnes vias eius intelligere noluerunt:
because they turned away from following him and refused to acknowledge any of his ways.
28 Ut pervenire facerent ad eum clamorem egeni, et audiret vocem pauperum.
In this way, they made the cry of poor people come to him; he heard the cry of afflicted people.
29 Ipso enim concedente pacem, quis est qui condemnet? ex quo absconderit vultum, quis est qui contempletur eum et super gentes et super omnes homines?
When he stays silent, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can perceive him? He rules over nation and individual alike,
30 Qui regnare facit hominem hypocritam propter peccata populi.
so that a godless man may not rule, so that there may be no one to entrap people.
31 Quia ergo ego locutus sum ad Deum, te quoque non prohibebo.
Suppose someone says to God, 'I am certainly guilty, but I will not sin any longer;
32 Si erravi, tu doce me: si iniquitatem locutus sum, ultra non addam.
teach me what I cannot see; I have committed sin, but I will do it no longer.'
33 Numquid a te Deus expetit eam, quia displicuit tibi? tu enim coepisti loqui, et non ego: quod si quid nosti melius, loquere.
Do you think that God will punish that person's sin, since you dislike what God does? You must choose, not I. So say what it is that you know.
34 Viri intelligentes loquantur mihi, et vir sapiens audiat me.
Men of understanding will say to me— indeed, every wise man who hears me will say,
35 Iob autem stulte locutus est, et verba illius non sonant disciplinam.
'Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without wisdom.'
36 Pater mi, probetur Iob usque ad finem: ne desinas ab homine iniquitatis.
If only Job were put on trial in the smallest details of his case because of his talking like wicked men.
37 Qui addit super peccata sua blasphemiam, inter nos interim constringatur: et tunc ad iudicium provocet sermonibus suis Deum.
For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands in mockery in our midst; he piles up words against God.”
