Job 35

1 Elihu spoke moreover, and said,

And Elius resumed and said,

2 Think you this to be right, that you said, My righteousness is more than God's?

What is this that thou thinkest to be according to right? who art thou that thou hast said, I am righteous before the Lord?

3 For you said, What advantage will it be unto you? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

I will answer thee, and thy three friends.

4 I will answer you, and your companions with you.

Look up to the sky and see; and consider the clouds, how high [they are] above thee.

5 Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than you.

If thou hast sinned, what wilt thou do?

6 If you sin, what do you against him? or if your transgressions be multiplied, what do you unto him?

and if too thou hast transgressed much, what canst thou perform?

7 If you be righteous, what give you him? or what receives he of your hand?

And suppose thou art righteous, what wilt thou give him? or what shall he receive of thy hand?

8 Your wickedness may hurt a man as you are; and your righteousness may profit the son of man.

Thy ungodliness [may affect] a man who is like to thee; or thy righteousness a son of man.

9 By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.

They that are oppressed of a multitude will be ready to cry out; they will call for help because of the arm of many.

10 But none says, Where is God my maker, who gives songs in the night;

But none said, Where is God that made me, who appoints the night-watches;

11 Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

who makes me to differ from the four-footed beasts of the earth, and from the birds of the sky?

12 There they cry, but none gives answer, because of the pride of evil men.

There they shall cry, and none shall hearken, even because of the insolence of wicked men.

13 Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

For the Lord desires not to look on error, for he is the Almighty One.

14 Although you say you shall not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust you in him.

He beholds them that perform lawless deeds, and he will save me: and do thou plead before him, if thou canst praise him, as it is [possible] even now.

15 But now, because it is not so, he has visited in his anger; yet he knows it not in great extremity:

For he is not [now] regarding his wrath, nor has he noticed severely any trespass.

16 Therefore does Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplies words without knowledge.

Yet Job vainly opens his mouth, in ignorance he multiplies words.