Job 35

1 After this, Eliu again spoke in this way:

Then Elihu also said this:

2 Does it seem right to you in your thoughts, that you should say, “I am more just than God?”

“[Job, ] do you think that what you said is right/correct? You say, ‘God knows that I am innocent,’

3 For you said, “Having done what is right does not please you,” and, “How will it benefit you, if I sin?”

and you say [to God], ‘What good have I received for not sinning? What benefit have I received from that?’ [DOU, RHQ]

4 And so, I will respond to your words, and to your friends who are with you.

[Well, ] I will answer you, and I will answer your three friends, too.

5 Look up towards heaven and consider; also, think about the sky, which is higher than you.

“[Job], look up at the sky; look at the clouds that are high above you and realize [that God is far above everything].

6 If you sin, how will it hurt him? And if your iniquities are multiplied, what will you do against him?

If you have sinned, that does not [RHQ] harm God at all. If many times you do things that are wrong, that certainly does not [RHQ] affect him [DOU].

7 Furthermore, if you act justly, what will you give him, or what will he receive from your hand?

And if you are righteous, does that help God? No, he is not benefited by anything that you do [DOU].

8 Your impiety may hurt a man who is like you, though your justice may help the son of the man.

It is other people who suffer because of the wicked things that you do, but by doing good things for people, you help them.

9 Because of the multitude of false accusers, they will cry out; and they will lament because of the strong arm of the tyrants.

“People cry out because of the many things that people do to others to (oppress them/treat them cruelly); they call for help because of the things that powerful people do [MTY] to them.

10 Yet he has not said: “Where is God, who made me, who has given songs in the night,

But (no one/none of them) calls out [to God], saying ‘Why does God, my creator, [not help me]? He [should] enable me to sing [joyful] songs, [instead of very sad songs, ] during the night.

11 who teaches us in addition to the beasts of the earth, and who educates us along with the birds of the air?”

He [should be able to] teach us more than all the wild animals do; he [should] enable us to become wiser than [all] the birds are!’

12 There they will cry, and he will not heed them, because of the arrogance of the wicked.

People cry out [for help], but God does not answer them, because those who cry out are proud and evil people.

13 Therefore, God does not hear in vain, and the Almighty will look into each and every case.

It is useless for them to cry out, because God, the Almighty One, does not pay any attention to what they say.

14 And so, when you say, “He does not examine,” be judged before him, but wait for him.

So, when you complain that you cannot see God, and you tell him that you are waiting for him [to decide whether or not you should be punished for what you have done], God will not listen to you, either!

15 For, at the present time, he does not bring forth his fury, nor does he punish sin exceedingly.

Furthermore, [you say that] because he does not pay attention when people commit sins, he does not become angry and punish them.

16 Therefore, Job has opened his mouth in vain and has multiplied words without knowledge.

You say things that are useless; you say a lot of things without knowing [what you are talking about].”