Job 34–35

Elihu Proclaims God’s Justice

34Elihu further answered and said:

²“Hear my words, you wise men;

Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.

^3aFor the ear tests words

As the palate tastes food.

⁴Let us choose justice for ourselves;

Let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵“For Job has said, ^b‘I am righteous,

But ^cGod has taken away my justice;

^6dShould I lie concerning my right?

My ¹wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’

⁷What man is like Job,

^eWho drinks ²scorn like water,

⁸Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,

And walks with wicked men?

⁹For ^fhe has said, ‘It profits a man nothing

That he should delight in God.’

¹⁰“Therefore listen to me, you ³men of understanding:

^gFar be it from God to do wickedness,

And from the Almighty to commit iniquity.

^11hFor He repays man according to his work,

And makes man to find a reward according to his way.

¹²Surely God will never do wickedly,

Nor will the Almighty ⁱpervert justice.

¹³Who gave Him charge over the earth?

Or who appointed Him over the whole world?

¹⁴If He should set His heart on it,

If He should ^jgather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,

^15kAll flesh would perish together,

And man would return to dust.

¹⁶“If you have understanding, hear this;

Listen to the sound of my words:

^17lShould one who hates justice govern?

Will you ^mcondemn Him who is most just?

¹⁸ⁿIs it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,’

And to nobles, ‘You are wicked’?

¹⁹Yet He ^ois not partial to princes,

Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor;

For ^pthey are all the work of His hands.

²⁰In a moment they die, ^qin the middle of the night;

The people are shaken and pass away;

The mighty are taken away without a hand.

²¹“For ^rHis eyes are on the ways of man,

And He sees all his steps.

^22sThere is no darkness nor shadow of death

Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

²³For He need not further consider a man,

That he should go before God in judgment.

^24tHe breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,

And sets others in their place.

²⁵Therefore He knows their works;

He overthrows them in the night,

And they are crushed.

²⁶He strikes them as wicked men

In the open sight of others,

²⁷Because they ^uturned back from Him,

And ^vwould not consider any of His ways,

²⁸So that they ^wcaused the cry of the poor to come to Him;

For He ^xhears the cry of the afflicted.

²⁹When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?

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

Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?—

³⁰That the hypocrite should not reign,

Lest the people be ensnared.

³¹“For has anyone said to God,

‘I have borne chastening;

I will offend no more;

³²Teach me what I do not see;

If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’?

³³Should He repay it according to your terms,

Just because you disavow it?

You must choose, and not I;

Therefore speak what you know.

³⁴“Men of understanding say to me,

Wise men who listen to me:

³⁵‘Job ^yspeaks without knowledge,

His words are without wisdom.’

³⁶Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost,

Because his answers are like those of wicked men!

³⁷For he adds ^zrebellion to his sin;

He claps his hands among us,

And multiplies his words against God.”

Elihu Condemns Self-Righteousness

35Moreover Elihu answered and said:

²“Do you think this is right?

Do you say,

‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?

³For ^ayou say,

‘What advantage will it be to You?

What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’

⁴“I will answer you,

And ^byour companions with you.

^5cLook to the heavens and see;

And behold the clouds—

They are higher than you.

⁶If you sin, what do you accomplish ^dagainst Him?

Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?

^7eIf you are righteous, what do you give Him?

Or what does He receive from your hand?

⁸Your wickedness affects a man such as you,

And your righteousness a son of man.

⁹“Because ^fof the multitude of oppressions they cry out;

They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty.

¹⁰But no one says, ^g‘Where is God my Maker,

^hWho gives songs in the night,

¹¹Who ⁱteaches us more than the beasts of the earth,

And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’

^12jThere they cry out, but He does not answer,

Because of the pride of evil men.

^13kSurely God will not listen to empty talk,

Nor will the Almighty regard it.

^14lAlthough you say you do not see Him,

Yet justice is before Him, and ^myou must wait for Him.

¹⁵And now, because He has not ⁿpunished in His anger,

Nor taken much notice of folly,

^16oTherefore Job opens his mouth in vain;

He multiplies words without knowledge.”