| 34 | Job | ||
| 1 | Then Elihu 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 my right I am counted a liar; my wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.' | ||
| 7 | What man is like Job, who drinks up scoffing like water, | ||
| 8 | who goes in company with evildoers and walks with wicked men? | ||
| 9 | For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing that he should take delight in God.' | ||
| 10 | "Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding, far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong. | ||
| 11 | For according to the work of a man he will requite him, and according to his ways he will make it befall him. | ||
| 12 | Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice. | ||
| 13 | Who gave him charge over the earth and who laid on him the whole world? | ||
| 14 | If he should take back his spirit to himself, and gather to himself his breath, | ||
| 15 | all flesh would perish together, and man would 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 him who is righteous and mighty, | ||
| 18 | who says to a king, 'Worthless one,' and to nobles, 'Wicked man'; | ||
| 19 | who shows no partiality to princes, 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 a man, and he sees all his steps. | ||
| 22 | There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves. | ||
| 23 | For he has not appointed a time for any man to go before God in judgment. | ||
| 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 in the sight of men, | ||
| 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 a man? - | ||
| 30 | that a godless man should not reign, that he should not ensnare the people. | ||
| 31 | "For has any one said to God, 'I have borne chastisement; 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 make requital to suit you, because you reject it? For you must choose, and not I; therefore declare what you know. | ||
| 34 | Men of understanding will say to me, and the wise man who hears me will say: | ||
| 35 | 'Job speaks without knowledge, his words are without insight.' | ||
| 36 | Would that Job were tried to the end, because he answers like wicked men. | ||
| 37 | For he adds rebellion to the sin; he claps his hands among us, and multiplies his words against God." | ||
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