Job 34
1Moreover, Elihu continued to speak: 1
2“Listen to my words, you wise men; 1 hear me, you who have knowledge. 1
3For the ear tries words 1 as the palate tastes food. 1
4Let us choose for ourselves what is just: 1 let us discover among ourselves what is good. 1
5For Job has said, 'I am righteous, 1 but God has taken away my rights. 1
6Regardless of my rights, I am considered to be a liar. 1 My wound is incurable, although I am without sin.' 1
7What man is like Job, 1 who drinks up mockery like water, 1
8who goes around in the company of those who do evil, 1 and who walks with wicked men? 1
9For he has said, 'It is no use to a person 1 to take pleasure in doing what God wants.' 1
10So listen to me, you men of understanding: 1 far be it from God that he should do wickedness; 1 far be it from the Almighty that he should commit sin. 1
11For he pays back a person's work; 1 he makes every man come upon the reward of his own ways. 1
12Indeed, God does nothing wicked, 1 nor does the Almighty ever pervert justice. 1
13Who put him in charge over the earth? 1 Who put the whole world under him? 1
14If he ever set his intentions only on himself, 1 and if he ever gathered back to himself his spirit and his breath, 1
15then all flesh would perish together; 1 mankind would return to dust again. 1
16If now you have understanding, listen to this; 1 listen to the sound of my words. 1
17Can one who hates justice govern? 1 Will you condemn God, who is righteous and mighty? 1
18God, who says to a king, 'You are vile,' 1 or says to nobles, 'You are wicked'? 1
19God, who does not show favoritism to leaders 1 and does not acknowledge rich people more than poor, 1 for they all are the work of his hands. 1
20In a moment they will die; 1 at midnight people will be shaken and will pass away; 1 mighty people will be taken away, but not by human hands. 1
21For God's eyes are upon a person's ways; 1 he sees all his steps. 1
22There is no darkness, no thick gloom 1 where the doers of iniquity may hide themselves. 1
23For God does not need to examine a person further; 1 there is no need for any person to go before him in judgment. 1
24He breaks mighty men into pieces for their ways that need no further investigation; 1 he puts others in their places. 1
25In this way he has knowledge of their deeds; 1 he overthrows these people in the night; they are destroyed. 1
26In the open sight of others, he kills them for their wicked deeds like criminals 1
27because they turned away from following him 1 and refused to acknowledge any of his ways. 1
28In this way, they made the cry of poor people come to him; 1 he heard the cry of afflicted people. 1
29When he stays silent, who can condemn him? 1 If he hides his face, who can perceive him? 1 He rules over nation and individual alike, 1
30so that a godless man may not rule, 1 so that there may be no one to entrap people. 1
31Suppose someone says to God, 1 'I am certainly guilty, but I will not sin any longer; 1
32teach me what I cannot see; 1 I have committed sin, but I will do it no longer.' 1
33Do you think that God will punish that person's sin, since you dislike what God does? 1 You must choose, not I. 1 So say what it is that you know. 1
34Men of understanding will say to me— 1 indeed, every wise man who hears me will say, 1
35'Job speaks without knowledge; 1 his words are without wisdom.' 1
36If only Job were put on trial in the smallest details of his case 1 because of his talking like wicked men. 1
37For he adds rebellion to his sin; 1 he claps his hands in mockery in our midst; 1 he piles up words against God.”