Job 35

Elihu Condemns Job

35And Elihu answered and said:

²“Do you think this to be just?

Do you say, ^v‘It is my right before God,’

³that you ask, ^w‘What advantage have I?

How am I better off than if I had sinned?’

⁴I will answer you

and ^xyour friends with you.

^5yLook at the heavens, and see;

and behold the clouds, which are higher than you.

⁶If you have sinned, ^zwhat do you accomplish against him?

And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?

^7aIf you are righteous, what do you give to him?

Or what does he receive from your hand?

⁸Your wickedness concerns a man like yourself,

and your righteousness ^ba son of man.

⁹“Because of the multitude of ^coppressions people ^dcry out;

they call for help because of the arm of ^ethe mighty.¹

¹⁰But none says, ‘Where is God my ^fMaker,

who gives ^gsongs in the night,

¹¹who teaches us ^hmore than the beasts of the earth

and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’

¹²There they ⁱcry out, but he does not answer,

because of the pride of evil men.

¹³Surely God does not hear an empty cry,

nor does the Almighty regard it.

¹⁴How much less when you say that you ^jdo not see him,

that the case is before him, and you are ^kwaiting for him!

¹⁵And now, because ^lhis anger does not punish,

and he does not take much note of transgression,²

¹⁶Job opens his mouth in empty talk;

he ^mmultiplies words ⁿwithout knowledge.”