Job 34
1 Moreover Elihu answered and said,
And Elihu made answer and said,
2 Hear my words, ye wise [men]; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
Give ear, you wise, to my words; and you who have knowledge, give attention to me;
3 For the ear trieth words, as the palate tasteth food.
For words are tested by the ear, as food is tasted by the mouth.
4 Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good!
Let us make the decision for ourselves as to what is right; let us have the knowledge among ourselves of what is good.
5 For Job hath said, I am righteous, and God hath taken away my judgment:
For Job has said, I am upright, and it is God who has taken away my right;
6 Should I lie against my right? My wound is incurable without transgression.
Though I am right, still I am in pain; my wound may not be made well, though I have done no wrong.
7 What man is like Job? he drinketh up scorning like water,
What man is like Job, a man who freely makes sport of God,
8 And goeth in company with workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
And goes in the company of evil-doers, walking in the way of sinners?
9 For he hath said, It profiteth not a man if he delight himself in God.
For he has said, It is no profit to a man to take delight in God.
10 Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be wickedness from God, and wrong from the Almighty!
Now then, you wise, take note; you men of knowledge, give ear to me. Let it be far from God to do evil, and from the Ruler of all to do wrong.
11 For a man's work will he render to him, and cause every one to find according to [his] way.
For he gives to every man the reward of his work, and sees that he gets the fruit of his ways.
12 Yea, surely, God acteth not wickedly, and the Almighty perverteth not judgment.
Truly, God does not do evil, and the Ruler of all is not a false judge.
13 Who hath entrusted to him the earth? and who hath disposed the whole world?
Who put the earth into his care, or made him responsible for the world?
14 If he only thought of himself, [and] gathered unto him his spirit and his breath,
If he made his spirit come back to him, taking his breath into himself again,
15 All flesh would expire together, and man would return to the dust.
All flesh would come to an end together, and man would go back to the dust.
16 If now [thou hast] understanding, hear this: give ear to the voice of my words!
If you are wise, take note of this; give ear to the voice of my words.
17 Should he that hateth right indeed govern? and wilt thou condemn the All-just?
How may a hater of right be a ruler? and will you say that the upright Ruler of all is evil?
18 Shall one say to a king, Belial? to nobles, Wicked?
He who says to a king, You are an evil-doer; and to rulers, You are sinners;
19 [How then to him] that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich man more than the poor? for they are all the work of his hands.
Who has no respect for rulers, and who gives no more attention to those who have wealth than to the poor, for they are all the work of his hands.
20 In a moment they die, even at midnight the people are convulsed and pass away; and the strong are taken away without hand.
Suddenly they come to an end, even in the middle of the night: the blow comes on the men of wealth, and they are gone, and the strong are taken away without the hand of man.
21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his steps.
For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.
22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
There is no dark place, and no thick cloud, in which the workers of evil may take cover.
23 For he doth not long consider a man, to bring him before God in judgment.
For he does not give man a fixed time to come before him to be judged.
24 He breaketh in pieces mighty men without inquiry, and setteth others in their stead;
He sends the strong to destruction without searching out their cause, and puts others in their place.
25 Since he knoweth their actions; and he overthroweth [them] in the night, and they are crushed.
For he has knowledge of their works, overturning them in the night, so that they are crushed.
26 He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others,
The evil-doers are broken by his wrath, he puts his hand on them with force before the eyes of all onlookers.
27 Because they have turned back from him, and would consider none of his ways;
Because they did not go after him, and took no note of his ways,
28 So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.
So that the cry of the poor might come up to him, and the prayer of those in need come to his ears.
29 When he giveth quietness, who then will disturb? and when he hideth [his] face, who shall behold him? and this towards a nation, or towards a man alike;
30 That the ungodly man reign not, that the people be not ensnared.
31 For hath he said unto God, I bear [chastisement], I will not offend;
32 What I see not, teach thou me; if I have done wrong, I will do so no more?
33 Shall he recompense according to thy mind? for thou hast refused [his judgment]; for thou so choosest, and not I; speak then what thou knowest.
34 Men of understanding will say to me, and a wise man who heareth me:
Men of knowledge, and all wise men, hearing me, will say,
35 Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were not with intelligence.
Job's words do not come from knowledge; they are not the fruit of wisdom.
36 Would that Job may be tried unto the end, because of [his] answers after the manner of evil men!
May Job be tested to the end, because his answers have been like those of evil men.
37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth [his hands] among us, and multiplieth his words against God.
For in addition to his sin, he is uncontrolled in heart; before our eyes he makes sport of God, increasing his words against him.
