Job 34-36
Complete Jewish Bible
34 Elihu continued speaking:
2 “Hear my words, you sages!
Listen to me, you who know so much!
3 For the ear tests words,
just as the palate tastes food.
4 Let’s choose for ourselves what is just;
let’s decide among ourselves what is good.
5 For Iyov says, ‘I am in the right,
but God is denying me justice.
6 Against justice, I am considered a liar;
my wound is mortal, though I committed no crime.’
7 “Is there a man like Iyov,
who drinks in scoffing like water,
8 who keeps company with evildoers
and goes with wicked men,
9 since he thinks, ‘It profits a person nothing
to be in accord with God’?
10 “So listen to me, you men with sense!
Far be it from God to do anything wicked!
11 For he pays people back for what they do
and sees that each gets what his conduct deserves.
12 It is certain that God does nothing wicked;
Shaddai will not pervert justice.
13 Did someone else put him in charge of the earth?
Who else established the entire world?
14 If he were to take back man’s heart to himself,
if he gathered to himself his spirit and breath;
15 all flesh would instantly perish,
everyone would return to dust.
16 “If you have any sense, [Iyov,] hear this;
listen to what I am saying.
17-18 Should a hater of justice be in control?
If you wouldn’t tell a king, ‘You’re a scoundrel!’
or nobles, ‘You are wicked men!’
then you shouldn’t condemn the Just and Mighty One,
19 who is neither partial toward princes
nor favors the rich over the poor,
since they all are the work of his hands.
20 They may die in a moment, in the middle of the night —
the people are shaken and pass away,
the mighty are removed without human hands.
21 For he keeps watch on a person’s ways;
he sees his every step.
22 There is no darkness, no death-like gloom,
where wrongdoers can hide;
23 for he doesn’t give warning to people
when they must appear before God in judgment.
24 He shatters the mighty without needing to investigate
and sets up others in their place.
25 Therefore, aware of what they are doing,
he overturns them by night, and they are crushed.
26 He strikes them as if they were common criminals
in the open sight of others,
27 because they turned away from following him
and gave no thought to any of his ways,
28 thereby bringing before him the cries of the poor;
and he hears the cries of the oppressed.
29 “But if God is silent, who can accuse him;
if he hides his face, who can see him?
He may do this to nations and persons alike,
30 so that godless men will not become kings,
and the people will not be lured into traps.
31 “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have been chastised without having offended;
32 teach me what I have failed to see;
and if I have done wrong, I will do it no more’?
33 Must his rewards meet your approval?
Well, you are the one who doesn’t like them,
so you, not I, should pick the alternative;
come on, say what you think!
34 Intelligent people will tell me,
every wise man who hears me will say,
35 ‘Iyov is speaking without thinking;
his words lack discernment.’
36 “I wish Iyov would be kept on trial forever,
because he answers like wicked men.
37 For now to his sin he adds rebellion;
he [mockingly] claps his hands among us
and keeps adding to his words against God.”
35 Elihu went on to say:
2 “Are you so convinced you are right,
that you say, ‘I am more just than God’?
3 For you ask what advantage it is to you,
‘How do I gain from not sinning?’
4 “Here is my answer to you,
to you and to your friends:
5 Look at the heavens and see;
observe the skies, high above you.
6 If you sin, how do you hurt him?
If your crimes are many, how do you affect him?
7 If you are righteous, what do you give him?
What benefit does he get from you?
8 Your wickedness can affect only others like you,
and your righteousness only other human beings.
9 People cry out from under many oppressions;
they cry for help from under the fist of the mighty.
10 But no one asks, ‘Where is God my maker,
who causes glad songs to ring out at night,
11 who teaches us more than he teaches wild animals
and makes us wiser than the birds in the air?’
12 They may cry out, but no one answers,
because of evil men’s pride.
13 For God will not listen to empty cries;
Shaddai pays no attention to them.
14 All the more when you say that you don’t see him!
Just be patient; he’s considering the matter.
15 But now, just because he doesn’t get angry and punish,
does it mean he doesn’t know what arrogance is?
16 So Iyov is being futile when he opens his mouth;
he is piling up words without knowledge.”
36 Elihu added:
2 “Bear with me a little, and I will show you
that there is more to say on God’s behalf.
3 I may search far and wide for my arguments,
but I will ascribe righteousness to God my maker.
4 For the fact is that my words are true;
you have with you a man whose views are pure.
5 “Look, God is powerful and despises no one,
powerful in his strength of understanding.
6 He does not preserve the lives of the wicked,
but he gives justice to the poor.
7 He does not withdraw his eyes from the righteous;
but when he sets kings on their throne forever,
they may become proud;
8 if, then, they are bound in chains,
held in oppressive cords,
9 he shows them the results of their doings,
the crimes caused by their pride.
10 He sounds a warning in their ears
and orders them to repent of their evil.
11 “If they pay attention and obey him,
they spend their days in prosperity;
their years pass pleasantly.
12 But if they don’t pay attention,
they perish by the sword
and die without learning their lesson.
13 The godless in heart cherish their anger,
not crying for help when he binds them.
14 Their soul perishes in their youth,
and their life becomes depraved.
15 “God, with his affliction,
delivers the afflicted;
and he gets their attention
by pressing on them.
16 Indeed [Iyov], he is drawing you
away from distress
to an untroubled open place,
with rich food on your table.
17 But the judgment on the wicked
applies fully to you,
judgment and condemnation
take hold [of them].
18 For beware of wrath
when abundance entices you;
don’t let a big bribe
turn you aside.
19 Will your great wealth help you?
or all your efforts, no matter how strong?
20 Don’t desire the night,
when people suddenly die.
21 Be careful; turn away from wrongdoing;
for because of this, you have been tested by affliction.
22 “Look, God is exalted in his strength;
who is a teacher like him?
23 Who ever prescribed his course for him?
Who ever said, ‘What you are doing is wrong’?
24 Remember, rather, to magnify his work,
of which many have sung.
25 Everyone has seen it,
[but] humans see it [only] from a distance.
26 Look, God is great, beyond what we can know;
the number of his years is uncountable.
27 “He makes the droplets of water,
which condense into rain from his mist.
28 The clouds pour it down
upon humankind in abundance.
29 Can anyone fathom the spreading of the clouds,
or the crashes that come from his canopy?
30 See how he scatters his lightning over it
and covers the roots of the sea.
31 By these things he judges the people
and also gives food in plenty.
32 He gathers the lightning into his hands
and commands it to strike the target.
33 Its crashing announces its presence
and apprises the cattle of what is coming.
Iyov 34-36
Orthodox Jewish Bible
34 Furthermore Elihu answered and said,
2 Hear my words, O ye chachamim; and give ear unto me, ye that have da’as.
3 For the ozen trieth words, as the mouth tasteth food.
4 Let us choose for ourselves what is mishpat (right); let us know among ourselves what is tov.
5 For Iyov hath said, I am innocent; and El hath taken away my mishpat (right).
6 I declare the mishpat (case) against me a lie; though without peysha, my arrow wound is incurable.
7 What gever is like Iyov, who drinketh up the scorn [of his friends] like mayim?
8 Who goeth in chaverah with the po’alei aven (workers of iniquity, evildoers), and walketh with anshei resha.
9 For he hath said, It profiteth a gever nothing that he should please Elohim.
10 Therefore pay heed unto me ye anashei levav (men of understanding); far be it from El, that He should do evil, and from Shaddai, that He should do wrong.
11 For the po’al adam (work of a man) shall He repay unto him, and make every man to find according to the man’s ways.
12 Yea, surely El will not do wickedly, neither will Shaddai pervert mishpat (justice).
13 Who hath given Him right to rule the earth? Or who hath appointed Him over the tevel?
14 If He should so determine, if He gather unto Himself His Ruach and His Neshamah,
15 All basar would perish together, and adam would return unto aphar.
16 If now thou hast binah, hear this: pay heed to the kol (voice) of my words.
17 Shall even one that hateth mishpat (right) govern? And wilt thou condemn Him that is Tzaddik and Kabir (the Mighty One)?
18 Is it fit to say to a melech, Thou art beli’ya’al? And to nobles, Ye are rasha.
19 Who shows no partiality to sarim (princes), nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? For they all are the ma’aseh (work) of His hands.
20 In a moment shall they die, and at chatzot lailah the people shall be shaken, and pass away, and the mighty shall be taken away without human hand.
21 For His eyes are upon the darkhei ish and He seeth all his goings.
22 There is no choshech, nor tzalmavet, where the po’alei aven (evildoers) may hide themselves.
23 For He does not need to consider an ish further for anyone to go before El in mispat (judgment).
24 He shall break in pieces kabirim (mighty men) without investigation, and sets acherim (others) in their place.
25 Therefore He knoweth their works, and He overthroweth them in the lailah, so that they are crushed.
26 He striketh them as resha’im in the open sight of others;
27 Because they turned back from following Him, and would not regard any of His drakhim;
28 So that they caused the cry of the poor to come unto Him, and He heareth the cry of the aniyim.
29 When He giveth quietness, who then can condemn? When He hideth His panim, who then can behold Him? Whether it be a nation, or an individual only?
30 That the chanef (hypocrite) reign not, nor those who ensnare the people.
31 For has anyone said unto El, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more;
32 Teach Thou me what I see not; im (if) I have done iniquity, I will do no more?
33 Will He then recompense to suit you, just because you disavow it? Thou must choose, not I; therefore speak that of which thou hast da’as.
34 Let anshei levav (men of understanding) say to me, and let a gever chacham who pays heed unto me say,
35 Iyov hath spoken without da’as, and his words were without seichel.
36 Iyov ought to be tried unto the limit, because his answers are those of anshei aven.
37 For he addeth peysha unto his chattat, he clappeth his hands [shaking fist at G-d] among us, and multiplieth his words against El.
35 Elihu spoke moreover, and said,
2 Thinkest thou this to be mishpat (right, just), that thou saidst, Tzidki meEl (I am cleared, in the right, justified before G-d)?
3 Ki (yet) thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned [see 9:22]?
4 I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.
5 Look unto Shomayim, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.
6 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against Him? Or if thy peysha’im be multiplied, what doest thou unto Him?
7 If thou be tzaddik (righteous), what givest thou Him? Or what receiveth He of thine yad?
8 Thy resha (wickedness) may hurt an ish as thou art; and thy tzedek may profit the ben adam.
9 They cry out under a load of oppression; they plead for relief from the zero’a of the rabbim.
10 But none saith, Where is Eloah Osai (G-d my Maker), Who giveth zemirot balailah (songs in the night);
11 Who teacheth us more than the behamot eretz, and maketh us wiser than the oph HaShomayim?
12 There they cry out, but none giveth answer, because of the ga’on (pride, arrogance) of ra’im (wicked men).
13 Surely El will not hear shav (vanity), neither will Shaddai regard it.
14 Although thou sayest thou cannot see Him, yet Din (the court case) is before Him; therefore trust thou, waiting for Him,
15 though ye say His anger does not pakad (visit, punish) anything and that He does not regard wickedness much;
16 Therefore doth Iyov open his mouth hevel (in vain); he multiplieth words without da’as.
36 Elihu also proceeded, and said,
2 Bear with me a little, and I will show thee that I have yet to speak on behalf of Eloah.
3 I will get my da’as from afar, and will ascribe tzedek to my Maker.
4 For truly my words shall not be sheker; one that is tamim (complete) in da’as is among thee.
5 See, El is kabir (mighty), and despiseth not any; He is kabir in ko’ach lev (strength of understanding).
6 He preserveth not the life of the rasha, but giveth mishpat to the aniyim.
7 He withdraweth not His eyes from the tzaddik, but with melachim are they on the kisse; yea, He doth establish them lanetzach (forever), and they are exalted.
8 And if they be bound in chains, and be held fast in chevlei oni (cords of affliction),
9 Then He showeth them their work, and their peysha’im that they have done arrogantly.
10 He openeth also their ozen to musar (discipline), and commandeth that they make teshuvah and turn from evil.
11 If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their yamim in tov (prosperity), and their shanim in contentment.
12 But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without da’as.
13 But the chanefei lev (irreligious in heart, hypocrites) incur wrath; they do not cry for help when He bindeth them.
14 They die in youth, their nefesh among the kedeshim (cult male prostitutes, youthful lusts).
15 He delivereth the oni in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.
16 Even so would He have removed thee out of the tzar (distress) into a rachav (broad place), free from restriction, to the comfort of thy shulchan, full of choice food.
17 But thou hast been fixated on the din of the rasha; din and mishpat take hold on thee.
18 Because there is chemah, beware lest He take thee away with His stroke; then a rav kopher (great ransom) cannot deliver thee.
19 Will He esteem thy riches? No, not zahav, nor all the forces of ko’ach.
20 Desire not halailah (the night), when people are cut off in their place.
21 Take heed, regard not iniquity; for this hast thou chosen rather than oni.
22 See, El exalted by His ko’ach. Who is a moreh (teacher) like Him?
23 Who hath enjoined Him His derech? Or who can say, Thou hast done wrong?
24 Remember that thou must extol His work, of which anashim have sung praises.
25 Kol adam has seen it; enosh beholds it afar off.
26 See, El is great, and we know Him not, neither can the mispar of His shanim be searched out.
27 For He draws up the drops of mayim; He distills His mist as matar;
28 Which the clouds do drop and distill upon adam abundantly.
29 Also can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the thunderings of His sukkah?
30 See, He spreadeth His ohr upon it, and covereth the depths of the yam.
31 For by them governeth He the amim (nations); He giveth okhel in abundance.
32 His hands He covers with the ohr (lightning), and commandeth it to strike the mark.
33 The thunder thereof showeth concerning Him; the storm tells His indignant af (wrath).
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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