34

1Then Elihu said:
  2“Hear my words, you wise men;
   listen to me, you men of learning.
  3For the ear tests words
   as the tongue tastes food.
  4Let us discern for ourselves what is right;
   let us learn together what is good.

  5“Job says, ‘I am innocent,
   but God denies me justice.
  6Although I am right,
   I am considered a liar;
  although I am guiltless,
   his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.’
  7Is there anyone like Job,
   who drinks scorn like water?
  8He keeps company with evildoers;
   he associates with the wicked.
  9For he says, ‘There is no profit
   in trying to please God.’

  10“So listen to me, you men of understanding.
   Far be it from God to do evil,
   from the Almighty to do wrong.
  11He repays everyone for what they have done;
   he brings on them what their conduct deserves.
  12It is unthinkable that God would do wrong,
   that the Almighty would pervert justice.
  13Who appointed him over the earth?
   Who put him in charge of the whole world?
  14If it were his intention
   and he withdrew his spirit and breath,
  15all humanity would perish together
   and mankind would return to the dust.

  16“If you have understanding, hear this;
   listen to what I say.
  17Can someone who hates justice govern?
   Will you condemn the just and mighty One?
  18Is he not the One who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’
   and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’
  19who shows no partiality to princes
   and does not favor the rich over the poor,
   for they are all the work of his hands?
  20They die in an instant, in the middle of the night;
   the people are shaken and they pass away;
   the mighty are removed without human hand.

  21“His eyes are on the ways of mortals;
   he sees their every step.
  22There is no deep shadow, no utter darkness,
   where evildoers can hide.
  23God has no need to examine people further,
   that they should come before him for judgment.
  24Without inquiry he shatters the mighty
   and sets up others in their place.
  25Because he takes note of their deeds,
   he overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.
  26He punishes them for their wickedness
   where everyone can see them,
  27because they turned from following him
   and had no regard for any of his ways.
  28They caused the cry of the poor to come before him,
   so that he heard the cry of the needy.
  29But if he remains silent, who can condemn him?
   If he hides his face, who can see him?
  Yet he is over individual and nation alike,
   30to keep the godless from ruling,
   from laying snares for the people.

  31“Suppose someone says to God,
   ‘I am guilty but will offend no more.
  32Teach me what I cannot see;
   if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.’
  33Should God then reward you on your terms,
   when you refuse to repent?
  You must decide, not I;
   so tell me what you know.

  34“Men of understanding declare,
   wise men who hear me say to me,
  35‘Job speaks without knowledge;
   his words lack insight.’
  36Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost
   for answering like a wicked man!
  37To his sin he adds rebellion;
   scornfully he claps his hands among us
   and multiplies his words against God.”

34

1Mas Elihu has tas,
  2“Mej cov kws muaj tswvyim
   ca le noog kuv tej lug,
  mej cov kws txawj ntse,
   ca le tig ntsej noog kuv has.
  3Lub qhov ntsej swm noog tej lug,
   ib yaam le lub qhov ncauj swm zaub mov.
  4Thov ca peb xaiv yaam kws raug,
   ca peb kawm huv peb cov saib yaam twg zoo,
  5tsua qhov Yauj has tas, ‘Kuv tsw tau ua txhum,
   tassws Vaajtswv qhau kuv cai lawm.
  6Txawm yog kuv ua raug cai
   los kuv raug muab suav ua tuabneeg daag,
  txawm yog kuv tsw tau faav xeeb
   los kuv tej kav txhaab khu tsw zoo.’
  7Leejtwg yuav zoo le Yauj?
   Nwg haus txujkev thuaj luag
   ib yaam le haus dej,
  8nwg nrug tej tuabneeg phem koom ua ke,
   hab nrug cov tuabneeg limham moog ua ke.
  9Vem nwg has tas,
   ‘Qhov kws tuabneeg zoo sab rua huv Vaajtswv
   tsw muaj qaabhau daabtsw rua puab.’

  10“Vem le nuav, mej cov kws txawj nkaag sab,
   ca le noog kuv has,
  tsw muaj ib zag Vaajtswv yuav ua limham hlo le,
   hab tug kws muaj fwjchim luj kawg nkaus
   yuav ua txhum.
  11Vaajtswv yuav pauj rua tuabneeg
   lawv le puab tau ua lawd,
  hab Vaajtswv yuav ua rua puab raug
   lawv le puab lub neej.
  12Qhov tseeb, Vaajtswv yeej yuav tsw ua limham,
   hab tug kws muaj fwjchim luj kawg nkaus
   yuav tsw qhau txujcai.
  13Leejtwg tsaa Vaajtswv kaav lub qaab ntuj,
   lossws leejtwg muab lub nplajteb huvsw
   cob rua Vaajtswv?
  14Yog Vaajtswv rhu nwg tug ntsuj plig rov qaab,
   hab sau zog nwg tej paa rov qaab rua nwg,
  15tes txhua tug cev nqaj
   yuav puam tsuaj taag huvsw,
  hab tuabneeg yuav rov qaab moog
   ua moov aav xwb.

  16“Yog koj txawj ntse, ca le noog tej nuav,
   ca le noog kuv tej lug.
  17Tswm nyog ca tug kws
   ntxub qhov kws tu plaub ncaaj ua tug kaav lov?
  Koj yuav rau txem rua tug kws ncaaj nceeg
   hab muaj fwjchim lov?
  18Nwg yog tug kws has rua vaajntxwv tas,
   ‘Koj tsw muaj nqes daabtsw,’
  hab has rua cov kws ua hlub tas,
   ‘Koj yog tuabneeg limham,’
  19yog tug kws tsw saib cov thawj ntsej muag
   lossws saib hlub cov nplua nuj
   heev dua cov pluag,
  tsua qhov cov tuabneeg nuav huvsw
   yog Vaajtswv txhais teg tswm.
  20Ib plag ntshws xwb puab kuj tuag taag,
   thaus ib taag mo tej tuabneeg tshee quas nyo
   hab taag swm neej lawm,
  hab cov kws muaj fwjchim
   kuj raug coj moog lawm,
   tsw yog tuabneeg txhais teg ua.

  21“Vaajtswv lub qhov muag
   saib ntsoov tuabneeg txujkev,
   hab nwg pum puab txhua kauj ruam.
  22Tsw muaj duab tsaus
   lossws qhov tsaus ntuj quas nti
   kws cov tuabneeg phem yuav tswv nraim tau.
  23Vaajtswv tsw teem caij rua leejtwg
   moog cuag Vaajtswv txais kev txav txem.
  24Vaajtswv rhuav tshem cov kws muaj fwjchim
   tsw txug tshuaj saib,
   hab tsaa lwm tug lug nyob puab chaw.
  25Nwg paub puab tej num lawm
   txhad le muab puab xyeeb hlo tseg thaus mo ntuj,
   puab txhad ntsoog taag.
  26Vaajtswv ntaus puab taab meeg tuabneeg
   vem yog puab tej kev limham,
  27tsua qhov puab tig hlo ntawm Vaajtswv lawm,
   hab tsw quav ntsej nwg txujkev hlo le.
  28Vem le nuav puab txhad ua rua
   tej pluag lub suab quaj nrov tuaj txug Vaajtswv,
  mas nwg kuj noog cov kws txom nyem
   nyuaj sab lub suab.
  29Thaus Vaajtswv nyob tuabywv
   leejtwg yuav rau txem tau rua nwg?
  Thaus nwg fee plhu lawd
   leejtwg yuav pum tau nwg?
   Vaajtswv yeej saib tuabneeg hab tej tebchaws
  30sub tug kws tsw fwm Vaajtswv
   txhad tsw tau kaav
   hab tsw cuab qhov taub rua cov pejxeem.

  31“Muaj leejtwg has rua Vaajtswv tas,
   ‘Kuv raug nplawm lawm,
   kuv yuav tsw ua txhum ntxwv lawm,
  32thov qha tej kws kuv tsw pum rua kuv,
   yog kuv tau ua txhum txem,
   kuv yuav tsw ua ntxwv lawm’?
  33Vem koj tsw kaam txais tej kws Vaajtswv ua
   mas Vaajtswv yuav ua rua koj
   lawv le koj lub sab xaav lov?
  Koj yuav tsum xaiv, tsw yog kuv xaiv.
   Yog le nuav koj paub le caag ca le has moog.
  34Cov kws txawj ntse yuav has rua kuv
   hab tug muaj tswvyim kws noog kuv has
   yuav has tas,
  35‘Yauj has yaam le tsw paub qaabhau,
   nwg tej lug tsw muaj lub ntsab le.’
  36Xaav ca Yauj raug swm sab
   moog txug thaus kawg,
  tsua qhov nwg tej lug teb zoo yaam nkaus le
   tej tuabneeg limham tej lug.
  37Yauj muab qhov kws faav xeeb
   tsaav rua nwg lub txem,
  nwg npuaj teg thuaj luag rua huv plawv peb,
   hab ua ncauj ntau tawm tsaam Vaajtswv.”