Job 34

1 And Elihu answereth and saith:

Furthermore Elihu answered and said,

2 Hear, O wise men, my words, And, O knowing ones, give ear to me.

Hear my words, O ye wise [men; ] and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

3 For the ear doth try words, And the palate tasteth to eat.

For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.

4 Judgment let us choose for ourselves, Let us know among ourselves what [is] good.

Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what [is] good.

5 For Job hath said, 'I have been righteous, And God hath turned aside my right,

For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.

6 Against my right do I lie? Mortal [is] mine arrow — without transgression.'

Should I lie against my right? my wound [is] incurable without transgression.

7 Who [is] a man like Job? He drinketh scoffing like water,

What man [is] like Job, [who] drinketh up scorning like water?

8 And he hath travelled for company With workers of iniquity, So as to go with men of wickedness.

Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.

9 For he hath said, 'It doth not profit a man, When he delighteth himself with God.'

For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.

10 Therefore, O men of heart, hearken to me; Far be it from God to do wickedness, And [from] the Mighty to do perverseness:

Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: far be it from God, [that he should do] wickedness; and [from] the Almighty, [that he should commit] iniquity.

11 For the work of man he repayeth to him, And according to the path of each He doth cause him to find.

For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to [his] ways.

12 Yea, truly, God doth not do wickedly, And the Mighty doth not pervert judgment.

Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.

13 Who hath inspected for Himself the earth? And who hath placed all the habitable world?

Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?

14 If He doth set on him His heart, His spirit and his breath unto Him He gathereth.

If he set his heart upon man, [if] he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;

15 Expire doth all flesh together, And man to dust returneth.

All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

16 And if [there is] understanding, hear this, Give ear to the voice of my words.

If now [thou hast] understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.

17 Yea, doth one hating justice govern? Or the Most Just dost thou condemn?

Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?

18 Who hath said to a king — 'Worthless,' Unto princes — 'Wicked?'

[Is it fit] to say to a king, [Thou art] wicked? [and] to princes, [Ye are] ungodly?

19 That hath not accepted the person of princes, Nor hath known the rich before the poor, For a work of His hands [are] all of them.

[How much less to him] that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all [are] the work of his hands.

20 [In] a moment they die, and at midnight Shake do people, and they pass away, And they remove the mighty without hand.

In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.

21 For His eyes [are] on the ways of each, And all his steps He doth see.

For his eyes [are] upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.

22 There is no darkness nor death-shade, For workers of iniquity to be hidden there;

[There is] no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

23 For He doth not suffer man any more, To go unto God in judgment,

For he will not lay upon man more [than right; ] that he should enter into judgment with God.

24 He breaketh the mighty — no searching! And He appointeth others in their stead.

He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.

25 Therefore He knoweth their works, And He hath overturned by night, And they are bruised.

Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth [them] in the night, so that they are destroyed.

26 As wicked He hath stricken them, In the place of beholders.

He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others;

27 Because that against right They have turned aside from after Him, And none of His ways have considered wisely,

Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways:

28 To cause to come in unto Him The cry of the poor, And the cry of the afflicted He heareth.

So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.

29 And He giveth rest, and who maketh wrong? And hideth the face, and who beholdeth it? And in reference to a nation and to a man, [It is] the same.

When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth [his] face, who then can behold him? whether [it be done] against a nation, or against a man only:

30 From the reigning of a profane man, From the snares of a people;

That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.

31 For unto God hath any said: 'I have taken away, I do not corruptly,

Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne [chastisement], I will not offend [any more: ]

32 Besides [that which] I see, shew Thou me, If iniquity I have done — I do not add?'

[That which] I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.

33 By thee doth He recompense, That thou hast refused — That thou dost choose, and not I? And what thou hast known, speak.

[Should it be] according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.

34 Let men of heart say to me, And a wise man is hearkening to me.

Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.

35 Job — not with knowledge doth he speak, And his words [are] not with wisdom.

Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words [were] without wisdom.

36 My Father! let Job be tried — unto victory, Because of answers for men of iniquity,

My desire [is that] Job may be tried unto the end because of [his] answers for wicked men.

37 For he doth add to his sin, Transgression among us he vomiteth, And multiplieth his sayings to God.

For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth [his hands] among us, and multiplieth his words against God.