Job 34
1 Moreover Elihu answered and said:
And Elihu answers and says:
2 Hear my words, ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
“Hear, O wise men, my words, And, O knowing ones, give ear to me.
3 For the ear trieth words, as the palate tasteth food.
For the ear tries words, And the palate tastes to eat.
4 Let us choose for us that which is right; let us know among ourselves what is good.
Let us choose judgment for ourselves, Let us know among ourselves what [is] good.
5 For Job hath said: 'I am righteous, and God hath taken away my right;
For Job has said, I have been righteous, And God has turned aside my right,
6 Notwithstanding my right I am accounted a liar; my wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.'
Against my right do I lie? My arrow [is] mortal—without transgression.
7 What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?
Who [is] a man like Job? He drinks scoffing like water,
8 Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
And he has traveled for company With workers of iniquity, So as to go with men of wickedness.
9 For he hath said: 'It profiteth a man nothing that he should be in accord with God.'
For he has said, It does not profit a man When he delights himself with God.
10 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.
Therefore, O men of heart, listen to me; Far be it from God to do wickedness, And [from] the Mighty to do perverseness,
11 For the work of a man will He requite unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
For He repays the work of man to him, And according to the path of each He causes him to find.
12 Yea, of a surety, God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert justice.
Indeed, truly, God does not do wickedly, And the Mighty does not pervert judgment.
13 Who gave Him a charge over the earth? Or who hath disposed the whole world?
Who has inspected for Himself the earth? And who has placed all the habitable world?
14 If He set His heart upon man, if He gather unto Himself his spirit and his breath;
If He sets His heart on him, [If] He gathers His Spirit and His breath to Himself,
15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall return unto dust.
All flesh expires together, And man returns to dust.
16 If now thou hast understanding, hear this; hearken to the voice of my words.
And if [there is] understanding, hear this, Give ear to the voice of my words.
17 Shall even one that hateth right govern? And wilt thou condemn Him that is just and mighty —
Indeed, does one hating justice govern? Or do you condemn the Most Just?
18 Is it fit to say to a king: 'Thou art base'? Or to nobles: 'Ye are wicked'? —
Who has said to a king, Worthless, To princes, Wicked?
19 That respecteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? For they all are the work of His hands.
That has not accepted the person of princes, Nor has known the rich before the poor, For all of them [are] a work of His hands.
20 In a moment they die, even at midnight; the people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away without hand.
[In] a moment they die, And at midnight people shake, And they pass away, And they remove the mighty without hand.
21 For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He seeth all his goings.
For His eyes [are] on the ways of each, 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 darkness nor death-shade, For workers of iniquity to be hidden there;
23 For He doth not appoint a time unto any man, when he should go before God in judgment.
For He does not permit man anymore, To go to God in judgment,
24 He breaketh in pieces mighty men without inquisition, and setteth others in their stead.
He breaks the mighty—no searching! And He appoints others in their stead.
25 Therefore He taketh knowledge of their works; and He overturneth them in the night, so that they are crushed.
Therefore He knows their works, And He has overturned by night, And they are bruised.
26 He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others;
As wicked He has struck them, In the place of beholders.
27 Because they turned aside from following Him, and would not have regard to any of His ways;
Because that against right They have turned aside from after Him, And have considered none 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.
To cause to come to Him The cry of the poor, And He hears the cry of the afflicted.
29 When He giveth quietness, who then can condemn? And when He hideth His face, who then can behold Him? whether it be done unto a nation, or unto a man, alike;
And He gives rest, and who makes wrong? And hides the face, and who beholds it? And in reference to a nation and to a man, [It is] the same.
30 That the godless man reign not, that there be none to ensnare the people.
From the reigning of a profane man, From the snares of a people;
31 For hath any said unto God: 'I have borne chastisement, though I offend not;
For has any said to God: I have taken away, I do not do corruptly,
32 That which I see not teach Thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more'?
Besides [that which] I see, You show me, If I have done iniquity—I do not add?
33 Shall His recompense be as thou wilt? For thou loathest it, so that thou must choose, and not I; therefore speak what thou knowest.
Does He repay by you, that you have refused—That you choose, and not I? And what you have known, speak.
34 Men of understanding will say unto me, yea, every wise man that heareth me:
Let men of heart say to me, And a wise man is listening to me:
35 'Job speaketh without knowledge, and his words are without discernment.'
Job—he does not speak with knowledge, And his words [are] not with wisdom.
36 Would that Job were tried unto the end, because of his answering like wicked men.
My Father! Let Job be tried—to victory, Because of answers for men of iniquity,
37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.
For he adds to his sin, He vomits transgression among us, And multiplies his sayings to God.”
