Job 35

Elihu Condemns Job

1 Moreover, ^{▼▼Hebrew “And”} Elihu ⌞spoke up⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “answered”; see NET} and said,

2 “Do you think this is justice when you say,
‘⌞I am right⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “My righteousness”} before God’?
3 If you ask what it profits you:
‘How do I benefit ⌞by refraining from my sin⌟?’ ^{▼▼Literally “from my sin”}
4 I myself ^{▼▼Emphatic personal pronoun} ⌞will give answer to you⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “will return you words”}
and to your friends with you.
5 “Look at the heavens, and see;
and observe the clouds that are higher than you.
6 If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him?
And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him,
or what does he receive from your hand?
8 Your wickedness affects a person like yourself,
and your righteousness affects humans.
9 “Because of the multitude of oppressions, they cry out;
they cry for help because of the arm of the mighty.
10 But ^{▼▼Hebrew “And”} no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
who gives songs in the night,
11 who teaches us more than the animals of the earth
and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’
12 There they cry out, but ^{▼▼Hebrew “and”} he does not answer
⌞because of the pride of evildoers⌟. ^{▼▼Literally “from the face of the pride of evildoers”}
13 “Surely God does not hear an empty plea,
and Shaddai does not regard it.
14 ⌞How much less⌟ ^{▼▼Literally “Also for”} when you say that you do not see him,
that the case is ⌞before him⌟, ^{▼▼Literally “to the face of him”} and you are waiting for him!
15 But ^{▼▼Hebrew “And”} now, because his anger does not punish,
and he does not acknowledge the transgression at all,
16 ⌞therefore⌟ ^{▼▼Hebrew “and,” or “so”} Job opens his mouth in empty talk—
without knowledge he multiplies words.”