Job 35

35It is not right, Job, for you to say

that you are innocent in God’s sight,

³or to ask God, “How does my sin affect you?

What have I gained by not sinning?”

⁴I am going to answer you and your friends too.

⁵Look at the sky! See how high the clouds are!

^6*If you sin, that does no harm to God.

If you do wrong many times, does that affect him?

^7*Do you help God by being so righteous?

There is nothing God needs from you.

^8*Others suffer from your sins,

and the good you do helps them.

⁹When people are oppressed, they groan;

they cry for someone to save them.

¹⁰But they don’t turn to God, their Creator,

who gives them hope in their darkest hours.

¹¹They don’t turn to God, who makes us wise,

wiser than any animal or bird.

¹²They cry for help, but God doesn’t answer,

for they are proud and evil.

¹³It is useless for them to cry out;

Almighty God does not see or hear them.

¹⁴Job, you say you can’t see God;

but wait patiently—your case is before him.

¹⁵You think that God does not punish,

that he pays little attention to sin.

¹⁶It is useless for you to go on talking;

it is clear you don’t know what you are saying.