Job 35

CHAPTER 35

Elihu Answers Job

¹Then Elihu answered and said,

²“Do you think this is according to ^ajustice?

Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?

³“For you say, ‘^aWhat use will it be to ¹You?

^bWhat profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’

⁴“I will respond to you,

And your friends with you.

⁵“^aLook at the heavens and see;

And perceive ^bthe clouds—they are higher than you.

⁶“If you have sinned, ^awhat do you accomplish against Him?

And if your transgressions are many, what do you do to Him?

⁷“If you are righteous, ^awhat do you give to Him,

Or what does He receive from your hand?

⁸“Your wickedness is for a man like yourself,

And your righteousness is for a son of man.

⁹“Because of ^amany oppressions they cry out;

They cry for help because of the arm ^bof many oppressors.

¹⁰“But ^ano one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,

Who ^bgives songs of praise in the night,

¹¹Who ^ateaches us more than the beasts of the earth

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

¹²“There ^athey cry out, but He does not answer

Because of the pride of evil men.

¹³“Surely ^aGod will not listen to ¹an empty cry,

Nor will the Almighty perceive it.

¹⁴“How much less when ^ayou say you do not perceive Him,

The ^bcase is before Him, and you must wait for Him!

¹⁵“And now, because He has not visited in His anger,

Nor has He acknowledged ¹transgression well,

¹⁶So Job opens his mouth vainly;

He multiplies words ^awithout knowledge.”