Job 34

Elihu Answers That God Will Be Just

1 Then Elihu answered and said,

2 “Hear my speech, you wise men,
And give ear to me, you who know.
3 “For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
4 “Let us choose for ourselves what is just;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 “For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has removed my justice;
6 ^{▼▼ Or Although I am right I am accounted a liar}Should I lie concerning my justice?
My ^{▼▼Lit arrow}wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7 “What man is like Job,
Who drinks up mocking like water,
8 But he travels in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?
9 “For he has said, ‘It is of no use to a man
When he ^{▼▼Or takes delight in God}is pleased with God.’
10 “Therefore, listen to me, you men with a heart of wisdom.
Far be it from God to do injustice,
And from the Almighty to do wrong.
11 “For He pays a man according to his work,
And makes ^{▼▼Lit a man}him find it according to his way.
12 “Truly, God will not act wickedly,
And the Almighty will not pervert justice.
13 “Who appointed Him with authority over the earth?
And who has laid on Him the whole world?
14 “If He should set His heart on it,
If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath,
15 All flesh would breathe its last together,
And man would return to dust.
16 “But if you have understanding, hear this;
Give ear to the sound of my speech.
17 “Shall one who hates justice ^{▼▼Lit bind}rule?
And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,
18 Who says to a king, ‘Vile one,’
To nobles, ‘Wicked ones’;
19 Who shows no partiality to princes
Nor recognizes the rich above the poor,
For they all are the work of His hands?
20 “In a moment they die, and at midnight
People are shaken and pass away,
And the mighty are taken away without a hand.
21 “For His eyes are upon the ways of a man,
And He sees all his steps.
22 “There is no darkness or shadow of death
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 “ ^{▼▼Or For he does not set upon man the time to go to God in the judgment}For He does not need to consider a man further,
That he should go before God in judgment.
24 “He breaks in pieces mighty men without searching anything out,
And sets others in their place.
25 “Therefore He recognizes their labors,
And He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
26 “He strikes them like the wicked
^{▼▼ Lit In the place of the ones seeing}In a public place,
27 Because they turned aside from following Him,
And had no insight from any of His ways;
28 So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him,
And that He might hear the cry of the afflicted.
29 So if He keeps quiet, who then can condemn?
So if He hides His face, who then can perceive Him?
He is above both nation and man altogether,
30 So that godless men would not rule
Nor be snares of the people.
31 “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastisement;
I will not work destructively anymore;
32 Instruct me what I do not behold;
If I have done injustice,
I will not do it again’?
33 “Shall He repay on your terms, because you have rejected it?
For you must choose, and not I;
Therefore say what you know.
34 “Men with a heart of wisdom will say to me,
And a wise man who hears me,
35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge,
And his words are without insight.
36 ‘Job ought to be tested ^{▼▼Or to the end}to the limit
Because he answers like wicked men.
37 ‘For he adds transgression to his sin;
He strikes his hands together among us,
And multiplies his words against God.’ ”