Job 34

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¹And Elihu made answer and said,

²Give ear, you wise, to my words; and you who have knowledge, give attention to me;

³For words are tested by the ear, as food is tasted by the mouth.

⁴Let us make the decision for ourselves as to what is right; let us have the knowledge among ourselves of what is good.

⁵For Job has said, I am upright, and it is God who has taken away my right;

⁶Though I am right, still I am in pain; my wound may not be made well, though I have done no wrong.

⁷What man is like Job, a man who freely makes sport of God,

⁸And goes in the company of evil-doers, walking in the way of sinners?

⁹For he has said, It is no profit to a man to take delight in God.

¹⁰Now then, you wise, take note; you men of knowledge, give ear to me. Let it be far from God to do evil, and from the Ruler of all to do wrong.

¹¹For he gives to every man the reward of his work, and sees that he gets the fruit of his ways.

¹²Truly, God does not do evil, and the Ruler of all is not a false judge.

¹³Who put the earth into his care, or made him responsible for the world?

¹⁴If he made his spirit come back to him, taking his breath into himself again,

¹⁵All flesh would come to an end together, and man would go back to the dust.

¹⁶If you are wise, take note of this; give ear to the voice of my words.

¹⁷How may a hater of right be a ruler? and will you say that the upright Ruler of all is evil?

¹⁸He who says to a king, You are an evil-doer; and to rulers, You are sinners;

¹⁹Who has no respect for rulers, and who gives no more attention to those who have wealth than to the poor, for they are all the work of his hands.

²⁰Suddenly they come to an end, even in the middle of the night: the blow comes on the men of wealth, and they are gone, and the strong are taken away without the hand of man.

²¹For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.

²²There is no dark place, and no thick cloud, in which the workers of evil may take cover.

²³For he does not give man a fixed time to come before him to be judged.

²⁴He sends the strong to destruction without searching out their cause, and puts others in their place.

²⁵For he has knowledge of their works, overturning them in the night, so that they are crushed.

²⁶The evil-doers are broken by his wrath, he puts his hand on them with force before the eyes of all onlookers.

²⁷Because they did not go after him, and took no note of his ways,

²⁸So that the cry of the poor might come up to him, and the prayer of those in need come to his ears.

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³⁴Men of knowledge, and all wise men, hearing me, will say,

³⁵Job's words do not come from knowledge; they are not the fruit of wisdom.

³⁶May Job be tested to the end, because his answers have been like those of evil men.

³⁷For in addition to his sin, he is uncontrolled in heart; before our eyes he makes sport of God, increasing his words against him.

Job 34

¹Moreover Elihu answered,

²"Hear my words, you wise men. Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.

³For the ear tries words, as the palate tastes food.

⁴Let us choose for us that which is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵For Job has said, 'I am righteous, God has taken away my right:

⁶Notwithstanding my right I am considered a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without disobedience.'

⁷What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water,

⁸Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men?

⁹For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.'

¹⁰"Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

¹¹For the work of a man he will render to him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.

¹²Yes surely, God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert justice.

¹³Who put him in charge of the earth? or who has appointed him over the whole world?

¹⁴If he set his heart on himself, If he gathered to himself his spirit and his breath,

¹⁵all flesh would perish together, and man would turn again to dust.

¹⁶"If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words.

¹⁷Shall even one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty?-

¹⁸Who says to a king, 'Vile!' or to nobles, 'Wicked!'?

¹⁹Who doesn't respect the persons of princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor; for they all are the work of his hands.

²⁰In a moment they die, even at midnight. The people are shaken and pass away. The mighty are taken away without a hand.

²¹"For his eyes are on the ways of a man. He sees all his goings.

²²There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

²³For he doesn't need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment.

²⁴He breaks in pieces mighty men in ways past finding out, and sets others in their place.

²⁵Therefore he takes knowledge of their works. He overturns them in the night, so that they are destroyed.

²⁶He strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others;

²⁷because they turned aside from following him, and wouldn't pay attention to any of his ways,

²⁸so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him. He heard the cry of the afflicted.

²⁹When he gives quietness, who then can condemn? When he hides his face, who then can see him? Alike whether to a nation, or to a man,

³⁰that the godless man may not reign, that there be no one to ensnare the people.

³¹"For has any said to God, 'I am guilty, but I will not offend any more.

³²Teach me that which I do not see. If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more'?

³³Shall his recompense be as you desire, that you refuse it? For you must choose, and not I. Therefore speak what you know.

³⁴Men of understanding will tell me, yes, every wise man who hears me:

³⁵'Job speaks without knowledge. His words are without wisdom.'

³⁶I wish that Job were tried to the end, because of his answering like wicked men.

³⁷For he adds rebellion to his sin. He claps his hands among us, and multiplies his words against God."