Job 34
1 Furthermore Elihu responded, and said: —
After proclaiming these things, Eliu now had this to say:
2 Hear, ye wise men, my words, and, ye who know, give ear unto me;
May the wise hear my words, and may the educated listen to me.
3 For, the ear, trieth words, as, the palate, tasteth in eating.
For the ear examines words, and the mouth discerns foods by the taste.
4 What is right, let us choose for ourselves, Let us know, among ourselves, what is good;
Let us choose judgment for ourselves, and let us consider among ourselves what is best.
5 For Job hath said—I am righteous, But, GOD, hath turned away my right;
For Job has said: “I am just, yet God has subverted my judgment.
6 Concerning mine own right, shall I tell a falsehood? Incurable is my disease—not for any transgression.
For, within my judgment, there is a lie: my vehement barbs are without any sin.”
7 What man is like Job? He drinketh in scoffing like water;
What man is there that is like Job, who drinks up derision as if it were water,
8 And is on the way to keep company, with the workers of iniquity, and to walk with lawless men.
who accompanies those who work iniquity, and who walks with impious men?
9 For he hath said, It profiteth not a man, when, his good pleasure, is with God.
For he has said, “Man will not please God, even if he should travel with him.”
10 Wherefore, ye men of mind, hearken unto me, —Far be it, that, GOD, should be lawless, or, the Almighty, be perverse!
Therefore, prudent men, hear me: impiety is far from God, and iniquity is far from the Almighty.
11 For, what any son of earth doeth, he repayeth him, and, according to every man’s course, he causeth him to find.
For he will restore to man his works, and according to the ways of each, he will repay them.
12 Nay, verily, GOD, will not condemn unjustly, —nor, the Almighty, pervert justice.
For truly, God will not condemn in vain, nor will the Almighty repudiate judgment.
13 Who set him in charge of the earth? Or who appointed [him] the whole world?
What other is established over the earth? Or whom has he placed over the world, which he made?
14 If he should set against him his heart, His spirit and his inspiration, unto himself he should withdraw.
But, if he directs his heart towards him, he will draw his spirit and breath to himself.
15 All flesh together, would cease to breathe, and, the earth-born, unto dust, would return.
All flesh will fail together, and man will return to ashes.
16 If then [thou hast] understanding, hear this, Give thou ear to the teaching of my words: —
Therefore, if you have understanding, hear what is said, and heed the sound of my eloquence.
17 Shall, the very hater of right, control? Or, the just—the mighty one, wilt thou condemn?
Is he that does not love judgment able to be corrected? And how can you so greatly condemn him who is just?
18 Doth one say to a king, Abandoned one! Or, Lawless one! unto nobles?
He says to the king, “You are an apostate.” He calls commanders impious.
19 For he hath shewn no respect of persons unto princes, neither hath he recognised the rich rather than the poor? For, the work of his hands, are they all.
He does not accept the reputation of leaders; nor does he recognize the tyrant as he contends against the poor. For all are the work of his hands.
20 In a moment, they die, even in the middle of the night, —A people are convulsed when they pass away, A mighty one is removed, without hand;
They will die suddenly, and the people will be troubled in the middle of the night, but they will pass through it, and the violent will be taken away without a hand.
21 For, his eyes, are on the ways of a man, and, all his footsteps, he beholdeth, —
For his eyes are upon the ways of men, and he examines all of their steps.
22 No darkness, and no death-shade, where the workers of iniquity may hide.
There is no darkness and no shadow of death, where those who work iniquity may be hidden.
23 For, unto no man, doth he appoint a repetition, —in going unto GOD in judgment;
For it is no longer within the power of man to enter into judgment with God.
24 He shattereth mighty ones unsearchably, and setteth up others in their stead:
He will break into many innumerable pieces, and he will cause others to stand up in their place.
25 Therefore, he observeth their works, —and overturneth [them] in a night, and they are crushed;
For he knows their works, and, as a result, he will bring the night, and they will be crushed.
26 In the place of lawless men, hath he chastised them, in presence of beholders.
Just as the impious do, he has struck them in a place where they can be seen.
27 Forasmuch, as they turned from following him, and, none of his ways, did they teach;
They, as if with great diligence, have withdrawn from him, and they refused to understand all his ways,
28 Causing to reach him the outcry of the poor, Yea, the outcry of the oppressed, he heareth.
so that they caused the outcry of the needy to reach him, and he heard the voice of the poor.
29 When, he, giveth quiet, who then shall condemn? And, when he hideth [his] face, who then shall sing of him? whether unto a nation or unto mankind altogether,
For, when he grants peace, who is there that can condemn? When he hides his face, who is there that can contemplate him, either among the nations, or among all men?
30 That impious men may not reign, nor be ensnarers of the people.
He causes a hypocritical man to reign because of the sins of the people.
31 For, unto GOD, hath one [ever] said—I have borne punishment, I will not be perverse;
Therefore, since I have been speaking about God, I will not prevent you from doing the same.
32 What I see not, do, thou, shew me, If, perverseness, I have wrought, I will do it no more?
If I have erred, you may teach me; if I have spoken unfairly, I will add no more.
33 According to thy mind, must he requite it, that thou hast refused? For, thou, must choose, and not, I, What then thou knowest, speak!
Does God require this of you because it is displeasing to you? For you were the first to speak, and not I. But if you know something better, speak.
34 The men of mind, will say to me, yea any wise man hearkening unto me: —
Let men of understanding speak to me, and let a wise man listen to me.
35 Job, without knowledge, doth speak, and, his words, are not with discretion.
But Job has been speaking foolishly, and his words contain unsound teaching.
36 Would that Job might be tested to the uttermost, for replying with the men of iniquity:
My father, let Job be tested even to the end; may you not retreat from a man of iniquity.
37 For he addeth—unto his sin—rebellion, In our midst, he clappeth his hands, and multiplieth his sayings against GOD.
For he adds blasphemy on top of his sins; nevertheless, let him be constrained to be among us, and then let him provoke God to judgment with his speeches.
