Job 35

1 Moreover Elihu, responded and said: —

And Elius resumed and said,

2 This, dost thou think to be right? Thou hast said—My righteousness is more than GOD’S.

What is this that thou thinkest to be according to right? who art thou that thou hast said, I am righteous before the Lord?

3 For thou dost say, How can one profit by thee? How can I benefit, more than by my sin?

I will answer thee, and thy three friends.

4 I, will answer thee plainly, and thy friends with thee.

Look up to the sky and see; and consider the clouds, how high [they are] above thee.

5 Look at the heavens and see, —and survey the skies—they are higher than thou.

If thou hast sinned, what wilt thou do?

6 If thou sinnest, what canst thou work against him? Or, if thy transgressions be multiplied, what canst thou do unto him?

and if too thou hast transgressed much, what canst thou perform?

7 If thou art righteous, what canst thou give unto him? Or what, at thy hand, can he accept?

And suppose thou art righteous, what wilt thou give him? or what shall he receive of thy hand?

8 Unto a man like thyself, might thy lawlessness [reach], and, unto a son of the earth-born, thy righteousness.

Thy ungodliness [may affect] a man who is like to thee; or thy righteousness a son of man.

9 By reason of the multitude of oppressions, [men] make outcry, They cry for help, by reason of the arm of the mighty;

They that are oppressed of a multitude will be ready to cry out; they will call for help because of the arm of many.

10 But none saith—Where is GOD my maker, Who giveth songs in the night;

But none said, Where is God that made me, who appoints the night-watches;

11 Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and, beyond the bird of the heavens, giveth us wisdom?

who makes me to differ from the four-footed beasts of the earth, and from the birds of the sky?

12 There, [men] make outcry, and he answereth not, because of the arrogance of evil-doers.

There they shall cry, and none shall hearken, even because of the insolence of wicked men.

13 Howbeit, vanity, will GOD not hear, Yea, the Almighty, will not regard it.

For the Lord desires not to look on error, for he is the Almighty One.

14 How much less when thou sayest thou wilt not regard him! The cause, is before him, and thou must wait for him.

He beholds them that perform lawless deeds, and he will save me: and do thou plead before him, if thou canst praise him, as it is [possible] even now.

15 But, now, because it is not so, [thou sayest] —His anger hath punished, and yet hath he not at all known of transgression;

For he is not [now] regarding his wrath, nor has he noticed severely any trespass.

16 Thus, Job, vainly openeth his mouth, Without knowledge, he multiplieth words.

Yet Job vainly opens his mouth, in ignorance he multiplies words.