34
Elihu Proclaims God’s Justice
1Elihu further answered and said:
2“Hear my words, you wise men;
Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.
3⚓For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
4Let us choose justice for ourselves;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.
5“For Job has said, ⚓‘I am righteous,
But ⚓God has taken away my justice;
6⚓Should I lie concerning my right?
My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7What man is like Job,
⚓Who drinks scorn like water,
8Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?
9For ⚓he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
That he should delight in God.’
10“Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding:
⚓Far be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to commit iniquity.
11⚓For He repays man according to his work,
And makes man to find a reward according to his way.
12Surely God will never do wickedly,
Nor will the Almighty ⚓pervert justice.
13Who gave Him charge over the earth?
Or who appointed Him over the whole world?
14If He should set His heart on it,
If He should ⚓gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
15⚓All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.
16“If you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words:
17⚓Should one who hates justice govern?
Will you ⚓condemn Him who is most just?
18⚓Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are worthless,’
And to nobles, ‘You are wicked’?
19Yet He ⚓is not partial to princes,
Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor;
For ⚓they are all the work of His hands.
20In a moment they die, ⚓in the middle of the night;
The people are shaken and pass away;
The mighty are taken away without a hand.
21“For⚓ His eyes are on the ways of man,
And He sees all his steps.
22⚓There is no darkness nor shadow of death
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23For He need not further consider a man,
That he should go before God in judgment.
24⚓He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in their place.
25Therefore He knows their works;
He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
26He strikes them as wicked men
In the open sight of others,
27Because they ⚓turned back from Him,
And ⚓would not consider any of His ways,
28So that they ⚓caused the cry of the poor to come to Him;
For He ⚓hears the cry of the afflicted.
29When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?
And when He hides His face, who then can see Him,
Whether it is against a nation or a man alone?—
30That the hypocrite should not reign,
Lest the people be ensnared.
31“For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastening;
I will offend no more;
32Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done iniquity, I will do no more’?
33Should He repay it according to your terms,
Just because you disavow it?
You must choose, and not I;
Therefore speak what you know.
34“Men of understanding say to me,
Wise men who listen to me:
35‘Job⚓ speaks without knowledge,
His words are without wisdom.’
36Oh, that Job were tried to the utmost,
Because his answers are like those of wicked men!
37For he adds ⚓rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.”