Job 34

¹ And Elihu answereth and saith:

² Hear, O wise men, my words, And, O knowing ones, give ear to me.

³ For the ear doth try words, And the palate tasteth to eat.

⁴ Judgment let us choose for ourselves, Let us know among ourselves what [is] good.

⁵ For Job hath said, ‘I have been righteous, And God hath turned aside my right,

⁶ Against my right do I lie? Mortal [is] mine arrow — without transgression.’

⁷ Who [is] a man like Job? He drinketh scoffing like water,

⁸ And he hath travelled for company With workers of iniquity, So as to go with men of wickedness.

⁹ For he hath said, ‘It doth not profit a man, When he delighteth himself with God.’

¹⁰ Therefore, O men of heart, hearken to me; Far be it from God to do wickedness, And [from] the Mighty to do perverseness:

¹¹ For the work of man he repayeth to him, And according to the path of each He doth cause him to find.

¹² Yea, truly, God doth not do wickedly, And the Mighty doth not pervert judgment.

¹³ Who hath inspected for Himself the earth? And who hath placed all the habitable world?

¹⁴ If He doth set on him His heart, His spirit and his breath unto Him He gathereth.

¹⁵ Expire doth all flesh together, And man to dust returneth.

¹⁶ And if [there is] understanding, hear this, Give ear to the voice of my words.

¹⁷ Yea, doth one hating justice govern? Or the Most Just dost thou condemn?

¹⁸ Who hath said to a king — ‘Worthless,’ Unto princes — ‘Wicked?’

¹⁹ That hath not accepted the person of princes, Nor hath known the rich before the poor, For a work of His hands [are] all of them.

²⁰ [In] a moment they die, and at midnight Shake do people, and they pass away, And they remove the mighty without hand.

²¹ For His eyes [are] on the ways of each, And all his steps He doth see.

²² There is no darkness nor death-shade, For workers of iniquity to be hidden there;

²³ For He doth not suffer man any more, To go unto God in judgment,

²⁴ He breaketh the mighty — no searching! And He appointeth others in their stead.

²⁵ Therefore He knoweth their works, And He hath overturned by night, And they are bruised.

²⁶ As wicked He hath stricken them, In the place of beholders.

²⁷ Because that against right They have turned aside from after Him, And none of His ways have considered wisely,

²⁸ To cause to come in unto Him The cry of the poor, And the cry of the afflicted He heareth.

²⁹ And He giveth rest, and who maketh wrong? And hideth the face, and who beholdeth it? And in reference to a nation and to a man, [It is] the same.

³⁰ From the reigning of a profane man, From the snares of a people;

³¹ For unto God hath any said: ‘I have taken away, I do not corruptly,

³² Besides [that which] I see, shew Thou me, If iniquity I have done — I do not add?’

³³ By thee doth He recompense, That thou hast refused — That thou dost choose, and not I? And what thou hast known, speak.

³⁴ Let men of heart say to me, And a wise man is hearkening to me.

³⁵ Job — not with knowledge doth he speak, And his words [are] not with wisdom.

³⁶ My Father! let Job be tried — unto victory, Because of answers for men of iniquity,

³⁷ For he doth add to his sin, Transgression among us he vomiteth, And multiplieth his sayings to God.