Job 34:1–36:33
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.’
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.’ ”
1 Then Elihu continued 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 advantage will it be to 1You?
bWhat profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’
And your friends with you.
5 “aLook at the heavens and see;
And behold 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 the amultitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry for help because of the arm bof the mighty.
10 “But ano one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
Who bgives songs in the night,
11 Who 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 regard it.
14 “How much less when ayou say you do not behold 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,
16 So Job opens his mouth 1emptily;
He multiplies words awithout knowledge.”
Elihu Speaks of God’s Dealings with Men
1 Then Elihu continued and said,
2 “Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there 1is yet more to be said in God’s behalf.
3 “I will fetch my knowledge from afar,
And I will ascribe arighteousness to my Maker.
4 “For truly amy words are not false;
One who is bperfect in knowledge is with you.
5 “Behold, God is mighty but does not adespise any;
He is bmighty in strength of understanding.
6 “He does not akeep the wicked alive,
But gives justice to bthe afflicted.
7 “He does not awithdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But bwith kings on the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
8 “And if they are bound in fetters,
And are caught in the cords of aaffliction,
9 Then He declares to them their work
And their transgressions, that they have amagnified themselves.
10 “aHe opens their ear to instruction,
And bcommands that they return from evil.
11 “If they hear and serve Him,
They will aend their days in prosperity
And their years in bpleasures.
12 “But if they do not hear, they shall 1perish aby the sword
And they will bdie without knowledge.
13 “But the godless in heart lay up anger;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
14 “1They die in youth,
And their life perishes among the acult prostitutes.
15 “He delivers the afflicted in 1their aaffliction,
And bopens their ear 2in time of oppression.
16 “Then indeed, He aenticed you from the mouth of distress,
Instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;
And that which was set on your table was full of 1fatness.
17 “But you were full of ajudgment on the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 “Beware that awrath does not entice you to scoffing;
And do not let the greatness of the bransom turn you aside.
19 “Will your 1riches keep you from distress,
Or all the forces of your strength?
20 “Do not long for athe night,
When people 1vanish in their place.
21 “Be careful, do anot turn to evil,
For you have preferred this to baffliction.
22 “Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a ateacher like Him?
23 “Who has appointed Him His way,
And who has said, ‘aYou have done wrong’?
24 “Remember that you should aexalt His work,
Of which men have bsung.
Man beholds from afar.
26 “Behold, God is aexalted, and bwe do not know Him;
The cnumber of His years is unsearchable.
27 “For aHe draws up the drops of water,
They distill rain from 1the 2mist,
28 Which the clouds pour down,
They drip upon man abundantly.
29 “Can anyone understand the aspreading of the clouds,
The bthundering of His 1pavilion?
30 “Behold, He spreads His 1lightning about Him,
And He covers the depths of the sea.
31 “For by these He ajudges peoples;
He bgives food in abundance.
32 “He covers His hands with the 1lightning,
And acommands it to strike the mark.
33 “Its anoise declares 1His presence;
The cattle also, concerning what is coming up.