Job 35

1 Elihu spoke moreover, and said,

And Elius resumed and said,

2 Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?

What is this that you think to be according to right? who are you that you have said, I am righteous before the Lord?

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

I will answer you, and your three friends.

4 I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

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

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

If you have sinned, what will you do?

6 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions are multiplied, what doest thou to him?

and if too you have transgressed much, what can you perform?

7 If thou art righteous, what givest thou to him? or what receiveth he from thy hand?

And suppose you are righteous, what will you give him? or what shall he receive of your hand?

8 Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

Your ungodliness [may affect] a man who is like to you; or your righteousness 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.

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 maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

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

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

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

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

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

14 Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.

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

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

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

16 Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

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