Job 34
Revised Geneva Translation
34 Moreover Elihu answered and said,
2 “Hear my words, you wise men. And listen to me, you who have knowledge.
3 “For the ear tests the words, as the mouth tastes food.
4 “Let us seek judgment among us. And let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 “For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, and God has taken away my judgment.
6 Should I lie regarding my right? My wound of the arrow is grievous, though without my sin.
7 “What man is like Job, who drinks scornfulness like water,
8 “who goes in the company of those who work iniquity, and walks with wicked men?
9 “For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should walk with God.’
10 “Therefore, listen to me, you men of wisdom. Far be it from God to do wickedness, or that there is iniquity in the Almighty.
11 “For He will render to man according to his work, and cause everyone to find it according to his way.
12 “And certainly God will not do wickedly. Nor will the Almighty pervert judgment.
13 “Whom has He appointed over the Earth besides Himself? Or who has made the whole world?
14 “If He sets His Heart upon it, and gathers to Himself His Spirit and His breath,
15 “all flesh shall perish together, and man shall return to dust.
16 “And if you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words.
17 “Shall he who hates judgment, govern? And will you judge Him wicked Who is most just?
18 “Will you say to a king, ‘You are wicked,’ or to princes, ‘You are ungodly?’
19 “How much less to Him Who does not accept the persons of princes or regard the rich more than the poor? For they are all the work of His Hands.
20 “They shall die suddenly. And the people shall be troubled at midnight. And they shall pass forth and take away the mighty without power.
21 “For His Eyes are upon the ways of man, and He sees all his goings.
22 “There is no darkness or shadow of death, in which the workers of iniquity might be hidden.
23 “For He will not lay on man so much that he would enter into judgment with God.
24 “He shall break the mighty without seeking and shall set up others in their place.
25 “Therefore, He shall declare their works. He shall turn the night, and they shall be destroyed.
26 “He strikes them as wicked men, in the places of the seers,
27 “because they have turned back from Him, and would not consider all His ways,
28 “so that they have caused the voice of the poor to come to Him. And He has heard the cry of the afflicted.
29 “And when He gives quietness, who can make trouble? And when He hides His Face, who can behold Him, whether upon nations or upon a single man,
30 “so that the hypocrite does not reign and ensnare the people.
31 “Surely it is like God to say, ‘I have pardoned, I will not destroy.’
32 “So, if I do not see, teach me. If I have done wickedly, I will do no more.
33 “Yet, will He perform the thing through you simply because you have reproved it? You must choose, and not me. Therefore, say what you know.
34 “Let men of understanding tell me. And let a wise man listen to me.
35 “Job has not spoken of knowledge, nor were his words according to wisdom.
36 “I desire that Job may be tested to the utmost, because his answers are for wicked men!
37 “For he adds rebellion to his sin. He claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”
Job 34
New International Version
34 Then Elihu said:
2 “Hear my words, you wise men;
listen to me,(A) you men of learning.
3 For the ear tests words
as the tongue tastes food.(B)
4 Let us discern for ourselves what is right;(C)
let us learn together what is good.(D)
5 “Job says, ‘I am innocent,(E)
but God denies me justice.(F)
6 Although I am right,
I am considered a liar;(G)
although I am guiltless,(H)
his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.’(I)
7 Is there anyone like Job,
who drinks scorn like water?(J)
8 He keeps company with evildoers;
he associates with the wicked.(K)
9 For he says, ‘There is no profit
in trying to please God.’(L)
10 “So listen to me,(M) you men of understanding.(N)
Far be it from God to do evil,(O)
from the Almighty to do wrong.(P)
11 He repays everyone for what they have done;(Q)
he brings on them what their conduct deserves.(R)
12 It is unthinkable that God would do wrong,(S)
that the Almighty would pervert justice.(T)
13 Who appointed(U) him over the earth?
Who put him in charge of the whole world?(V)
14 If it were his intention
and he withdrew his spirit[a](W) and breath,(X)
15 all humanity would perish(Y) together
and mankind would return to the dust.(Z)
16 “If you have understanding,(AA) hear this;
listen to what I say.(AB)
17 Can someone who hates justice govern?(AC)
Will you condemn the just and mighty One?(AD)
18 Is he not the One who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’
and to nobles,(AE) ‘You are wicked,’(AF)
19 who shows no partiality(AG) to princes
and does not favor the rich over the poor,(AH)
for they are all the work of his hands?(AI)
20 They die in an instant, in the middle of the night;(AJ)
the people are shaken and they pass away;
the mighty are removed without human hand.(AK)
21 “His eyes are on the ways of mortals;(AL)
he sees their every step.(AM)
22 There is no deep shadow,(AN) no utter darkness,(AO)
where evildoers can hide.(AP)
23 God has no need to examine people further,(AQ)
that they should come before him for judgment.(AR)
24 Without inquiry he shatters(AS) the mighty(AT)
and sets up others in their place.(AU)
25 Because he takes note of their deeds,(AV)
he overthrows them in the night(AW) and they are crushed.(AX)
26 He punishes them for their wickedness(AY)
where everyone can see them,
27 because they turned from following him(AZ)
and had no regard for any of his ways.(BA)
28 They caused the cry of the poor to come before him,
so that he heard the cry of the needy.(BB)
29 But if he remains silent,(BC) who can condemn him?(BD)
If he hides his face,(BE) who can see him?
Yet he is over individual and nation alike,(BF)
30 to keep the godless(BG) from ruling,(BH)
from laying snares for the people.(BI)
31 “Suppose someone says to God,
‘I am guilty(BJ) but will offend no more.
32 Teach me what I cannot see;(BK)
if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.’(BL)
33 Should God then reward you on your terms,
when you refuse to repent?(BM)
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;(BN)
his words lack insight.’(BO)
36 Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost
for answering like a wicked man!(BP)
37 To his sin he adds rebellion;
scornfully he claps his hands(BQ) among us
and multiplies his words(BR) against God.”(BS)
Footnotes
- Job 34:14 Or Spirit
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