Job 34
34
Elihu Asserts God’s Justice
1Thus#Hebrew “And” Elihu spoke up#Literally “answered”; see NET and said,
2“Hear my words, you wise men,
and listen to me, you who know,
3for the ear tests words,
and the palate tastes food.#Literally “to eat”
4Let us choose justice for ourselves;
let us determine among ourselves what is good—
5for Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
but God has taken away my justice.
6Should I lie concerning my justice?
Though I am without transgression, my wound caused by an arrow is incurable.’
7What man is like Job,
who drinks scorn like water?
8And he goes on the road in company with instigators of mischief,
and walks with men of wickedness.
9Indeed, he says, ‘A man does not profit
when he takes delight in God.’
10“Therefore, listen to me, people who have sense:#Literally “men of heart”
far be it from God that he should commit wickedness#Literally “from wickedness”
and that Shaddai should do wrong.#Literally “from wrong”
11Indeed, he will repay according to a human being’s deeds,
and according to a man’s way he will let it happen to him.
12What’s more, God truly does not act wickedly,
and Shaddai does not pervert justice.
13Who gave him charge over the earth?
Or#Hebrew “And” who laid on him the whole world?
14If he should set his heart to it,
and he should gather his spirit and his breath to himself,
15all flesh would perish together,
and humankind would return to dust.
16“But#Hebrew “And” if you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I say.#Literally “the voice/sound of my words”
17Shall he who hates justice really govern?
Or will you#Singular declare the Righteous One, the Mighty, guilty?—
18the one who says to a king,
‘You worthless man,’ to noblemen, ‘You wicked man,’
19who shows no partiality to officials#Literally “he does not lift the face of officials”
and who does not take note of the noble more than of the insignificant,#Literally “he does not regard the eminent to the face of the poor/insignificant”
for all of them are the work of his hands?
20In a moment they die,
and in the middle of the night the people are shaken, and they pass away,
and they take away the mighty effortlessly.#Literally “not by a hand”
21“Indeed, his eyes are upon the ways of man,
and he sees all his steps.
22There is no darkness, and there is no deep shadow
where instigators of mischief might hide themselves.
23Indeed, he has not yet appointed a time for man
to go to God in the judgment.
24He shatters the mighty without investigation,
and he sets others in their place.
25Therefore he knows their works,
and he overturns them in the night
so that#Hebrew “and” they are crushed.
26He strikes them where the wicked stood,#Literally “among the wicked”
where there are onlookers,#Literally “in the place of seers”
27because they have turned aside from him
and have not understood any of his ways,
28so that they cause the cry of distress from the helpless to come to him,
and he hears the cry of distress from the needy,
29but he remains quiet, and who can condemn?
And he hides his face, and who can behold him?
Yet#Hebrew “And” he is over a nation and over a person alike,
30so that godless human beings should not reign,
nor those who ensnare the people.
31“Indeed, does anyone say to God, ‘I have endured chastisement;
I will not act corruptly again;
32teach me yourself what I cannot see;#Literally “apart from what I can see”
if I have done wrong, I will not repeat it’?
33According to your judgment,#Literally “from with you” must he repay it because you rejected this?
Indeed, you must choose, and not I, so#Hebrew “And” declare what you know.
34Those who have sense#Literally “Men of heart” say to me,
and the wise man hearing me says:
35‘Job speaks without knowledge,
and his words are without insight.
36Would that Job were tested up to the end
because his answers are like those from men of mischief,
37for he adds transgression to his sin;
he claps hands among us,
and he multiplies his words against God.’ ”
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Job 34: LEB
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