Job 35

1 Then Elihu also said this:

Moreover Elihu answered,

2 “[Job, ] do you think that what you said is right/correct? You say, ‘God knows that I am innocent,’

"Do you think this to be your right, or do you say, 'My righteousness is more than God's,'

3 and you say [to God], ‘What good have I received for not sinning? What benefit have I received from that?’ [DOU, RHQ]

That you ask, 'What advantage will it be to you? What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?'

4 [Well, ] I will answer you, and I will answer your three friends, too.

I will answer you, and your companions with you.

5 “[Job], look up at the sky; look at the clouds that are high above you and realize [that God is far above everything].

Look to the heavens, and see. See the skies, which are higher than you.

6 If you have sinned, that does not [RHQ] harm God at all. If many times you do things that are wrong, that certainly does not [RHQ] affect him [DOU].

If you have sinned, what effect do you have against him? If your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?

7 And if you are righteous, does that help God? No, he is not benefited by anything that you do [DOU].

If you are righteous, what do you give him? Or what does he receive from your hand?

8 It is other people who suffer because of the wicked things that you do, but by doing good things for people, you help them.

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

9 “People cry out because of the many things that people do to others to (oppress them/treat them cruelly); they call for help because of the things that powerful people do [MTY] to them.

"By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out. They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty.

10 But (no one/none of them) calls out [to God], saying ‘Why does God, my creator, [not help me]? He [should] enable me to sing [joyful] songs, [instead of very sad songs, ] during the night.

But none says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night,

11 He [should be able to] teach us more than all the wild animals do; he [should] enable us to become wiser than [all] the birds are!’

who teaches us more than the animals of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?'

12 People cry out [for help], but God does not answer them, because those who cry out are proud and evil people.

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

13 It is useless for them to cry out, because God, the Almighty One, does not pay any attention to what they say.

Surely God will not hear an empty cry, neither will Shaddai regard it.

14 So, when you complain that you cannot see God, and you tell him that you are waiting for him [to decide whether or not you should be punished for what you have done], God will not listen to you, either!

How much less when you say you do not see him. The cause is before him, and you wait for him.

15 Furthermore, [you say that] because he does not pay attention when people commit sins, he does not become angry and punish them.

But now, because he has not visited in his anger, neither does he greatly regard arrogance.

16 You say things that are useless; you say a lot of things without knowing [what you are talking about].”

Therefore Job opens his mouth with empty talk, and he multiplies words without knowledge."