JobChapter 34
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1Then Elihu kept on speaking. He said, 2"Hear my words, you wise men.
Listen to me, you who know a lot. 3The ear tests words
like the mouth tastes food. 4Let's choose for ourselves what is right.
Let's learn together what is good. 5For Job has said, 'I am righteous.
But God has not treated me fairly. 6Should I lie about my case?
My wound can't be healed,
even though I have done no wrong.' 7Is there any man like Job?
He drinks up insults like water. 8He spends time with people who do evil.
He walks with wicked men. 9For he has said, 'It does a man no good
to take delight in God.' 10So listen to me, you men who understand.
God would never do evil.
The Almighty would never do what is wrong. 11He pays a person back for what he has done.
He gives a person what his ways deserve. 12It is true that God does not do evil.
The Almighty does not twist what is fair. 13Who put God in charge of the earth?
Who made him ruler over the whole world? 14Suppose he made up his mind
to take back his Spirit and his breath. 15Then every living thing would die together.
People would go back to the dust. 16If you understand, hear this.
Listen to what I say. 17Could someone who hates justice rule?
Will you say that the fair and mighty God is guilty? 18He is the one who says to kings, 'You are worthless!'
He says to nobles, 'You are wicked.' 19He does not take the side of princes.
He does not favor the rich over the poor.
All of them are the work of his hands. 20They die in a moment, in the middle of the night.
The people shake and pass away.
The mighty are taken away, but not by a human hand. 21God's eyes watch the ways of a person.
He sees every step he takes. 22There is no darkness or deep shadow
where those who do evil can hide. 23God does not need to look at a person any longer
or bring him in to be judged. 24He breaks the mighty without asking any questions.
He puts others in their place. 25He knows what they have done.
So he throws them down in the night, and they are crushed. 26He strikes them down for their evil
where everyone can see. 27He does this because they turned away from him.
They did not care about any of his ways. 28They made the poor cry out to God.
And he heard the cries of those who suffer. 29But if God stays quiet, who can blame him?
If he hides his face, who can see him?
Yet he watches over both people and nations. 30He does this so that godless men will not rule
or set traps for the people. 31Suppose someone says to God,
'I have taken my punishment.
I will not do wrong anymore. 32Teach me what I can't see.
If I have done wrong, I won't do it again.' 33Should God pay you back the way you want,
when you have turned away from him?
You must choose, not me.
So tell me what you know. 34Men who understand will speak to me.
Wise men who hear me will say, 35'Job speaks without knowing what he is talking about.
His words don't make sense.' 36I wish Job would be tested to the very end,
because he answers like a wicked man. 37For he adds rebellion to his sin.
He claps his hands among us.
He piles up his words against God."