Job 34
34
Chapter 34
Elihu continues to speak #34:1 Elihu speaks to Job's friends (verse 2), as well as to Job himself (verses 7 to 9). Then he says that God cannot do anything wrong (verse 12). God is powerful but he is always fair (verse 17). God knows everything (verses 21 to 23). Job has not said sorry to God. So Elihu says that God will not forgive him. None of these things helps Job to understand why bad things have happened to him.
1Elihu continued speaking and he said this:
2‘You men who are so wise and who know so much,
listen to me.
Hear what I have to say.
3You recognize nice food when you eat it.
So you should recognize the value of my words.
4We should decide among ourselves what is right.
We should agree together what is good.
5Job has said, “I am not guilty.
But God refuses to judge me in a fair way.
6I am right,
but nobody believes me.
I have not done anything wrong,
but I am suffering
and I am near to death.”
7There has never been a man like Job!
He laughs at God as easily as he drinks water.
8He is a friend of wicked people,
and people who do evil things.
9Job says, “If anyone tries to please God,
it does not help them at all.”
10So listen to me, you men who understand so much.
Almighty God can never do anything that is wrong or wicked!
11He judges people fairly
as he sees the things that they do.
He gives people what they deserve.
12It is true! Almighty God does not do wicked things.
He never refuses to judge people in a fair way.
13God's great power did not come from anyone else!
He himself has authority over the whole world.
14God could decide to remove life from the world.
He could take back his spirit and his breath.
15If he did that, everyone that is alive would die.
As humans, we would become dirt again. #34:15 See Genesis 2:7.
16If you really understand things, Job, listen to me.
Hear what I have to say.
17If God refused to do what is right,
he could not rule the world.
He is the powerful Judge who knows what is right.
But you say that he is guilty!
18It is God who may say to a king, “You are useless!”
He may say to rulers, “You are wicked!”
19God created everyone.
He is not more kind to important people
than he is to other people.
He does not help rich people
more than he helps poor people.
20Anyone may die suddenly,
in the middle of the night.
God may shake them, so that they die.
He easily removes even the most powerful people.
21He watches the way that each person lives.
He sees what they do every day.
22People who do wicked things cannot hide themselves.
There is no place dark enough for them to hide from God.
23God does not have to tell people when they must come to him,
so that he can judge them.
24He destroys powerful people,
and he chooses other people to take their place.
He does not have to ask them anything.
25He already knows the things that they have done.
In the night, he removes their power,
and he destroys them.
26He punishes them
because they have done wicked things.
He does that where everyone can see.
27Those powerful people have turned away from God.
They have not respected his commands.
28They were cruel to poor people,
so that God saw what was happening.
God heard those poor people
when they called to him for help.
29But if God decides to do nothing,
no one can say that he is wrong.
If he hides himself, no one can see him.
But he still rules over people and over nations.
30God does not let men rule,
if they do not respect his ways.
He stops them from causing trouble to the people.
31Someone could say to God, “I am guilty,
and I have received my punishment.
But I will not do any more wrong things.
32Show me the sins that I have done
when I did not know about them.
If I have done wrong things,
I will not do them again.”
33But you, Job, refuse to accept God's justice.
Do you expect God to do what you think is right?
But you must choose what you will say.
I cannot decide for you.
So tell us what you are thinking now.
34 Wise people will agree with me.
When they hear my words, they will say,
35“Job speaks like a fool who knows nothing.
He only says useless things.”
36Yes Job, you speak to us like a wicked person.
So you should continue to suffer for ever!
37You have not only done wrong things,
you have also turned against God.
You have shown that you do not respect us.
You have said many things that insult God.’
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Job 34: EASY
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