Chapter 34

Elihu Vindicates God’s Justice

1 Then Elihu continued and said,

2 “Hear my words, you wise men,

And listen to me, you who know.

3 “For athe ear tests words

As the palate tastes food.

4 “Let us choose for ourselves what is right;

Let us know among ourselves what is good.

5 “For Job has said, ‘aI am righteous,

But bGod has taken away my right;

6 1Should I lie concerning my right?

My 2awound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’

7 “What man is like Job,

Who adrinks up derision like water,

8 Who goes ain company with the workers of iniquity,

And walks with wicked men?

9 “For he has said, ‘aIt profits a man nothing

When he 1is pleased with God.’

10 “Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding.

Far be it from God to ado wickedness,

And from the Almighty to do wrong.

11 “For He pays a man according to ahis work,

And makes 1him find it according to his way.

12 “Surely, aGod will not act wickedly,

And the Almighty will not pervert justice.

13 “Who agave Him authority over the earth?

And who bhas laid on Him the whole world?

14 “If He should 1determine to do so,

If He should agather to Himself His spirit and His breath,

15 All aflesh would perish together,

And man would breturn to dust.

16 “But if you have understanding, hear this;

Listen to the sound of my words.

17 “Shall aone who hates justice rule?

And bwill you condemn the righteous mighty One,

18 Who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’

To nobles, ‘Wicked ones’;

19 Who shows no apartiality to princes

Nor regards the rich above the poor,

For they all are the bwork of His hands?

20 “In a moment they die, and aat midnight

People are shaken and pass away,

And bthe mighty are taken away without a hand.

21 “For aHis eyes are upon the ways of a man,

And He sees all his steps.

22 “There is ano darkness or deep shadow

Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

23 “For He does not aneed to consider a man further,

That he should go before God in judgment.

24 “He breaks in pieces amighty men without inquiry,

And sets others in their place.

25 “Therefore He aknows their works,

And bHe overthrows them in the night,

And they are crushed.

26 “He astrikes them like the wicked

1In a public place,

27 Because they aturned aside from following Him,

And bhad no regard for any of His ways;

28 So that they caused athe cry of the poor to come to Him,

And that He might bhear the cry of the afflicted—

29 When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn?

And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him,

That is, in regard to both nation and man?—

30 So that agodless men would not rule

Nor be snares of the people.

31 “For has anyone said to God,

‘I have borne chastisement;

I will not offend anymore;

32 Teach me what I do not see;

If I have adone iniquity,

I will not do it again’?

33 “Shall He arecompense on your terms, because you have rejected it?

For you must choose, and not I;

Therefore declare what you know.

34 “Men of understanding will say to me,

And a wise man who hears me,

35 ‘Job aspeaks without knowledge,

And his words are without wisdom.

36 ‘Job ought to be tried 1to the limit,

Because he answers alike wicked men.

37 ‘For he adds arebellion to his sin;

He bclaps his hands among us,

And multiplies his words against God.’ ”