Job 35

1 Elihu spoke moreover, and said,

And Elihu made answer and said,

2 Think you this to be right, that you said, My righteousness is more than God’s?

Does it seem to you to be right, and righteousness before God, to say,

3 For you said, What advantage will it be to you? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

What profit is it to me, and how am I better off than if I had done wrong?

4 I will answer you, and your companions with you.

I will make answer to you and to your friends:

5 Look to the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than you.

Let your eyes be turned to the heavens, and lifted up to see the skies; they are higher than you.

6 If you sin, what do you against him? or if your transgressions be multiplied, what do you to him?

If you have done wrong, is he any the worse for it? and if your sins are great in number, what is it to him?

7 If you be righteous, what give you him? or what receives he of your hand?

If you are upright, what do you give to him? or what does he take from your hand?

8 Your wickedness may hurt a man as you are; and your righteousness may profit the son of man.

Your evil-doing may have an effect on a man like yourself, or your righteousness on a son of man.

9 By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.

Because the hand of the cruel is hard on them, men are making sounds of grief; they are crying out for help because of the arm of the strong.

10 But none says, Where is God my maker, who gives songs in the night;

But no one has said, Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night;

11 Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

Who gives us more knowledge than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the heaven?

12 There they cry, but none gives answer, because of the pride of evil men.

There they are crying out because of the pride of the evil-doers, but he gives them no answer.

13 Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

But God will not give ear to what is false, or the Ruler of all take note of it;

14 Although you say you shall not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust you in him.

How much less when you say that you do not see him; that the cause is before him, and you are waiting for him.

15 But now, because it is not so, he has visited in his anger; yet he knows it not in great extremity:

And now ...;

16 Therefore does Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplies words without knowledge.

And Job's mouth is open wide to give out what is of no profit, increasing words without knowledge.