Job 34
1 Moreouer Elihu answered, and saide,
And Elihu made answer and said,
2 Heare my wordes, ye wise men, and hearken vnto me, ye that haue knowledge.
Give ear, you wise, to my words; and you who have knowledge, give attention to me;
3 For the eare tryeth the words, as the mouth tasteth meate.
For words are tested by the ear, as food is tasted by the mouth.
4 Let vs seeke iudgement among vs, and let vs knowe among our selues 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 Iob hath saide, I am righteous, and God hath taken away my iudgement.
For Job has said, I am upright, and it is God who has taken away my right;
6 Should I lye in my right? my wound of the arrowe is grieuous without my sinne.
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 Iob, that drinketh scornfulnesse like water?
What man is like Job, a man who freely makes sport of God,
8 Which goeth in the companie of them that worke iniquitie, and walketh with wicked men?
And goes in the company of evil-doers, walking in the way of sinners?
9 For he hath saide, It profiteth a man nothing that he should walke with God.
For he has said, It is no profit to a man to take delight in God.
10 Therefore hearken vnto me, ye men of wisedome, God forbid that wickednesse should be in God, and iniquitie in the Almightie.
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 he will render vnto man according to his worke, and cause euery one to finde 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 And certainely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almightie peruert iudgement.
Truly, God does not do evil, and the Ruler of all is not a false judge.
13 Whome hath he appointed ouer the earth beside him selfe? or who hath placed the whole worlde?
Who put the earth into his care, or made him responsible for the world?
14 If he set his heart vpon man, and gather vnto him selfe his spirit and his breath,
If he made his spirit come back to him, taking his breath into himself again,
15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall returne vnto dust.
All flesh would come to an end together, and man would go back to the dust.
16 And if thou hast vnderstanding, heare this and hearken to the voyce of my wordes.
If you are wise, take note of this; give ear to the voice of my words.
17 Shal he that hateth iudgement, gouerne? and wilt thou iudge him wicked that is most iust?
How may a hater of right be a ruler? and will you say that the upright Ruler of all is evil?
18 Wilt thou say vnto a King, Thou art wicked? or to princes, Ye are vngodly?
He who says to a king, You are an evil-doer; and to rulers, You are sinners;
19 How much lesse to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, and regardeth not the rich, more then the poore? for they be all the worke of his handes.
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 They shall die suddenly, and the people shalbe troubled at midnight, and they shall passe foorth and take away the mightie 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 vpon the wayes of man, and he seeth all his goings.
For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.
22 There is no darkenesse nor shadowe of death, that the workers of iniquitie might be hid therein.
There is no dark place, and no thick cloud, in which the workers of evil may take cover.
23 For he will not lay on man so much, that he should enter into iudgement with God.
For he does not give man a fixed time to come before him to be judged.
24 He shall breake the mightie without seeking, and shall set vp other in their stead.
He sends the strong to destruction without searching out their cause, and puts others in their place.
25 Therefore shall he declare their works: he shall turne the night, and they shalbe destroyed.
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 places of the seers,
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 haue turned backe from him, and would not consider all his wayes:
Because they did not go after him, and took no note of his ways,
28 So that they haue caused the voyce of the poore to come vnto him, and he hath heard 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 And when he giueth quietnesse, who can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who can beholde him, whether it be vpon nations, or vpon a man onely?
30 Because the hypocrite doeth reigne, and because the people are snared.
31 Surely it appertaineth vnto God to say, I haue pardoned, I will not destroy.
32 But if I see not, teach thou me: if I haue done wickedly, I will doe no more.
33 Wil he performe the thing through thee? for thou hast reproued it, because that thou hast chosen, and not I. now speake what thou knowest.
34 Let men of vnderstanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken vnto me.
Men of knowledge, and all wise men, hearing me, will say,
35 Iob hath not spoken of knowledge, neyther were his wordes according to wisedome.
Job's words do not come from knowledge; they are not the fruit of wisdom.
36 I desire that Iob may be tryed, vnto the ende touching the answeres for wicked men.
May Job be tested to the end, because his answers have been like those of evil men.
37 For he addeth rebellion vnto his sinne: he clappeth his handes among vs, and multiplieth his wordes 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.
