34:1 Then Elihu continued and said,
34:2 “Hear my words, you wise men,
And listen to me, you who understand.
34:3 For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
34:4 Let us choose for ourselves what is right;
Let us understand among ourselves what is good.
34:5 For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has taken away my right;
34:6 ①Should I lie about my right?
My ②wound is incurable, though I am without wrongdoing.’
▷ ①Or Although I am right I am accounted a liar. ②Lit arrow
34:7 What man is like Job,
Who drinks up derision like water,
34:8 Who goes in company with the workers of injustice,
And walks with wicked people?
34:9 For he has said, ‘It is of no use to a man
When he becomes friends with God.’
34:10 “Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding.
Far be it from God to do evil,
And from the Almighty to do wrong.
34:11 For He repays a person for his work,
And lets things happen in correspondence to a man’s ①behavior.
▷ ①Lit way
34:12 God certainly will not act wickedly,
And the Almighty will not pervert justice.
34:13 Who gave Him authority over the earth?
And who has placed the whole world on Him?
34:14 If He were to ①determine to do so,
If He were to gather His ②spirit and His breath to Himself,
▷ ①Lit set His mind on Himself ②Or Spirit
34:15 ①Humanity would perish together,
And mankind would return to dust.
▷ ①Lit All flesh
34:16 “But if you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words.
34:17 Shall one who hates justice rule?
And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,
34:18 Who says to a king, ‘You worthless one,’
To nobles, ‘You wicked one’;
34:19 Who shows no partiality to the prominent,
Nor regards the rich as above the poor,
Since they are all the work of His hands?
34:20 In a moment they die, and at midnight
People are shaken and pass away,
And the powerful are taken away without a hand.
34:21 “For His eyes are upon the ways of a person,
And He sees all his steps.
34:22 There is no darkness or deep shadow
Where the workers of injustice can hide themselves.
34:23 For He does not need to consider a person further,
That he should go before God in judgment.
34:24 He breaks in pieces the mighty without investigation,
And sets others in their place.
34:25 Therefore He knows their deeds,
And He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
34:26 He strikes them like the wicked
①In a public place,
▷ ①Lit In the place of the ones seeing
34:27 Because they turned aside from following Him,
And had no regard for any of His ways,
34:28 So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him,
And that He would hear the cry of the afflicted—
34:29 When He keeps quiet, who can condemn?
And when He hides His face, who then can look at Him,
That is, regarding both nation and a person?—
34:30 So that godless people would not rule,
Nor be snares for the people.
34:31 “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have endured punishment;
I will not offend anymore;
34:32 Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done wrong,
I will not do it again’?
34:33 Shall God repay on your terms, because you have rejected His?
For you must choose, and not I;
Therefore declare what you know.
34:34 Men of understanding will say to me,
And a wise man who hears me,
34:35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge,
And his words are without wisdom.
34:36 Oh that Job were tested ①to the limit,
Because ②he answers like sinners.
▷ ①Or to the end ②Lit of answers like
34:37 For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.’ ”