Job 34
New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised
Elihu Proclaims God’s Justice
34 Then Elihu continued and said:
2 ‘Hear my words, 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 what is right;
let us determine among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job has said, “I am innocent,
and God has taken away my right;
6 in spite of being right I am counted a liar;
my wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.”
7 Who is there like Job,
who drinks up scoffing like water,
8 who goes in company with evildoers
and walks with the wicked?
9 For he has said, “It profits one nothing
to take delight in God.”
10 ‘Therefore, hear me, you who have sense,
far be it from God that he should do wickedness,
and from the Almighty[a] that he should do wrong.
11 For according to their deeds he will repay them,
and according to their ways he will make it befall them.
12 Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,
and the Almighty[b] will not pervert justice.
13 Who gave him charge over the earth
and who laid on him[c] the whole world?
14 If he should take back his spirit[d] to himself,
and gather to himself his breath,
15 all flesh would perish together,
and all mortals return to dust.
16 ‘If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I say.
17 Shall one who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn one who is righteous and mighty,
18 who says to a king, “You scoundrel!”
and to princes, “You wicked men!”;
19 who shows no partiality to nobles,
nor regards the rich more than the poor,
for they are all the work of his hands?
20 In a moment they die;
at midnight the people are shaken and pass away,
and the mighty are taken away by no human hand.
21 ‘For his eyes are upon the ways of mortals,
and he sees all their steps.
22 There is no gloom or deep darkness
where evildoers may hide themselves.
23 For he has not appointed a time[e] for anyone
to go before God in judgement.
24 He shatters the mighty without investigation,
and sets others in their place.
25 Thus, knowing their works,
he overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.
26 He strikes them for their wickedness
while others look on,
27 because they turned aside from following him,
and had no regard for any of his ways,
28 so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him,
and he heard the cry of the afflicted—
29 When he is quiet, who can condemn?
When he hides his face, who can behold him,
whether it be a nation or an individual?—
30 so that the godless should not reign,
or those who ensnare the people.
31 ‘For has anyone said to God,
“I have endured punishment; I will not offend any more;
32 teach me what I do not see;
if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more”?
33 Will he then pay back to suit you,
because you reject it?
For you must choose, and not I;
therefore declare what you know.[f]
34 Those who have sense will say to me,
and the wise who hear me will say,
35 “Job speaks without knowledge,
his words are without insight.”
36 Would that Job were tried to the limit,
because his answers are those of the wicked.
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin;
he claps his hands among us,
and multiplies his words against God.’
Job 34
EasyEnglish Bible
Elihu continues to speak[a]
34 Elihu continued speaking and he said this:
2 ‘You men who are so wise and who know so much,
listen to me.
Hear what I have to say.
3 You recognize nice food when you eat it.
So you should recognize the value of my words.
4 We should decide among ourselves what is right.
We should agree together what is good.
5 Job has said, “I am not guilty.
But God refuses to judge me in a fair way.
6 I am right,
but nobody believes me.
I have not done anything wrong,
but I am suffering
and I am near to death.”
7 There has never been a man like Job!
He laughs at God as easily as he drinks water.
8 He is a friend of wicked people,
and people who do evil things.
9 Job says, “If anyone tries to please God,
it does not help them at all.”
10 So listen to me, you men who understand so much.
Almighty God can never do anything that is wrong or wicked!
11 He judges people fairly
as he sees the things that they do.
He gives people what they deserve.
12 It is true! Almighty God does not do wicked things.
He never refuses to judge people in a fair way.
13 God's great power did not come from anyone else!
He himself has authority over the whole world.
14 God could decide to remove life from the world.
He could take back his spirit and his breath.
15 If he did that, everyone that is alive would die.
As humans, we would become dirt again.[b]
16 If you really understand things, Job, listen to me.
Hear what I have to say.
17 If God refused to do what is right,
he could not rule the world.
He is the powerful Judge who knows what is right.
But you say that he is guilty!
18 It is God who may say to a king, “You are useless!”
He may say to rulers, “You are wicked!”
19 God created everyone.
He is not more kind to important people
than he is to other people.
He does not help rich people
more than he helps poor people.
20 Anyone may die suddenly,
in the middle of the night.
God may shake them, so that they die.
He easily removes even the most powerful people.
21 He watches the way that each person lives.
He sees what they do every day.
22 People who do wicked things cannot hide themselves.
There is no place dark enough for them to hide from God.
23 God does not have to tell people when they must come to him,
so that he can judge them.
24 He destroys powerful people,
and he chooses other people to take their place.
He does not have to ask them anything.
25 He already knows the things that they have done.
In the night, he removes their power,
and he destroys them.
26 He punishes them
because they have done wicked things.
He does that where everyone can see.
27 Those powerful people have turned away from God.
They have not respected his commands.
28 They were cruel to poor people,
so that God saw what was happening.
God heard those poor people
when they called to him for help.
29 But if God decides to do nothing,
no one can say that he is wrong.
If he hides himself, no one can see him.
But he still rules over people and over nations.
30 God does not let men rule,
if they do not respect his ways.
He stops them from causing trouble to the people.
31 Someone could say to God, “I am guilty,
and I have received my punishment.
But I will not do any more wrong things.
32 Show me the sins that I have done
when I did not know about them.
If I have done wrong things,
I will not do them again.”
33 But you, Job, refuse to accept God's justice.
Do you expect God to do what you think is right?
But you must choose what you will say.
I cannot decide for you.
So tell us what you are thinking now.
34 Wise people will agree with me.
When they hear my words, they will say,
35 “Job speaks like a fool who knows nothing.
He only says useless things.”
36 Yes Job, you speak to us like a wicked person.
So you should continue to suffer for ever!
37 You have not only done wrong things,
you have also turned against God.
You have shown that you do not respect us.
You have said many things that insult God.’
Footnotes
- 34:1 Elihu speaks to Job's friends (verse 2), as well as to Job himself (verses 7 to 9). Then he says that God cannot do anything wrong (verse 12). God is powerful but he is always fair (verse 17). God knows everything (verses 21 to 23). Job has not said sorry to God. So Elihu says that God will not forgive him. None of these things helps Job to understand why bad things have happened to him.
- 34:15 See Genesis 2:7.
Job 34
King James Version
34 Furthermore Elihu answered and said,
2 Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
3 For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.
4 Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.
6 Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.
7 What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?
8 Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
9 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.
10 Therefore hearken unto me ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
11 For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
12 Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.
13 Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?
14 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;
15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.
16 If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
17 Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?
18 Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?
19 How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.
20 In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.
21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God.
24 He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.
25 Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
26 He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others;
27 Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways:
28 So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.
29 When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:
30 That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.
31 Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:
32 That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.
33 Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.
34 Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.
35 Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom.
36 My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men.
37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.
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