Job 34
Christian Standard Bible
34 Then Elihu continued,[a] saying:
2 Hear my words, you wise ones,
and listen to me, you knowledgeable ones.
3 Doesn’t the ear test words
as the palate tastes food?
4 Let us judge for ourselves what is right;
let us decide together what is good.
5 For Job has declared, “I am righteous,
yet God has deprived me of justice.(A)
6 Would I lie about my case?(B)
My wound[b] is incurable,
though I am without transgression.”
7 What man is like Job?
He drinks derision(C) like water.
8 He keeps company with evildoers
and walks with wicked men.
9 For he has said, “A man gains nothing
when he becomes God’s friend.”(D)
10 Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding.
It is impossible for God to do wrong,
and for the Almighty to act unjustly.(E)
11 For he repays(F) a person according to his deeds,
and he gives him what his conduct deserves.[c]
12 Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly
and the Almighty does not pervert justice.(G)
13 Who gave him authority over the earth?
Who put him in charge of the entire world?(H)
14 If he put his mind to it
and withdrew the spirit(I) and breath he gave,
15 every living thing would perish together
and mankind would return to the dust.(J)
16 If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I have to say.
17 Could one who hates justice govern the world?
Will you condemn the mighty Righteous One,(K)
18 who says to a king, “Worthless man!”
and to nobles, “Wicked men!”?(L)
19 God is not partial(M) to princes
and does not favor the rich over the poor,
for they are all the work of his hands.
20 They die suddenly in the middle of the night;
people shudder, then pass away.
Even the mighty are removed without effort.
21 For his eyes watch over a man’s ways,
and he observes all his steps.(N)
22 There is no darkness, no deep darkness,
where evildoers can hide.(O)
23 God does not need to examine a person further,
that one should[d] approach him in court.
24 He shatters the mighty without an investigation
and sets others in their place.(P)
25 Therefore, he recognizes their deeds(Q)
and overthrows them by night, and they are crushed.
26 In full view of the public,[e]
he strikes them for their wickedness,
27 because they turned aside from following him
and did not understand any of his ways
28 but caused the poor to cry out to him,
and he heard the outcry of the needy.(R)
29 But when God is silent, who can declare him guilty?
When he hides his face, who can see him?
Yet he watches over both individuals and nations,
30 so that godless men should not rule
or ensnare the people.
31 Suppose someone says to God,
“I have endured my punishment;
I will no longer act wickedly.
32 Teach me what I cannot see;
if I have done wrong, I won’t do it again.”
33 Should God repay you on your terms
when you have rejected his?
You must choose, not I!
So declare what you know.
34 Reasonable men will say to me,
along with the wise men who hear me,
35 “Job speaks without knowledge;(S)
his words are without insight.”
36 If only Job were tested to the limit,
because his answers are like those of wicked men.
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin;
he scornfully claps(T) in our presence,
while multiplying(U) his words against God.
Job 34
King James Version
34 Furthermore Elihu answered and said,
2 Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
3 For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.
4 Let us choose to us judgment: let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job hath said, I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment.
6 Should I lie against my right? my wound is incurable without transgression.
7 What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water?
8 Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.
9 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.
10 Therefore hearken unto me ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
11 For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
12 Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.
13 Who hath given him a charge over the earth? or who hath disposed the whole world?
14 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;
15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.
16 If now thou hast understanding, hear this: hearken to the voice of my words.
17 Shall even he that hateth right govern? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just?
18 Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art wicked? and to princes, Ye are ungodly?
19 How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.
20 In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.
21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 For he will not lay upon man more than right; that he should enter into judgment with God.
24 He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.
25 Therefore he knoweth their works, and he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
26 He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others;
27 Because they turned back from him, and would not consider any of his ways:
28 So that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto him, and he heareth the cry of the afflicted.
29 When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only:
30 That the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.
31 Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more:
32 That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.
33 Should it be according to thy mind? he will recompense it, whether thou refuse, or whether thou choose; and not I: therefore speak what thou knowest.
34 Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.
35 Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom.
36 My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end because of his answers for wicked men.
37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.
Hiob 34
Hoffnung für Alle
Gott gibt jedem Menschen, was er verdient
34 Weiter sagte Elihu:
2 »Hört mir zu, ihr Weisen, ihr gelehrten Männer!
Achtet auf das, was ich sage!
3 Denn unser Ohr prüft die Worte,
so wie der Gaumen die Speise kostet.
4 Wir müssen ein Urteil fällen,
wir wollen gemeinsam erkennen, was gut ist.
5 Denn Hiob behauptet:
›Ich bin unschuldig,
und doch verweigert Gott mir mein Recht!
6 Obwohl ich recht habe,
werde ich als Lügner hingestellt;
trotz meiner Unschuld hat mich sein tödlicher Pfeil getroffen!‹
7 Schaut euch Hiob an,
wie er sich im Spott gefällt,
8 wie er mit den Übeltätern Freundschaft schließt
und sich mit gottlosen Menschen einlässt!
9 Denn Hiob behauptet: ›Es nützt gar nichts,
wenn ein Mensch versucht, Gott zu gefallen!‹
10 Hört mir zu, ihr klugen Männer:
Sollte Gott jemals Böses tun?
Nein, niemals!
Der Allmächtige verdreht nicht das Recht!
11 Gott bestraft einen Menschen nur für seine eigenen Taten;
jedem gibt er zurück, was er verdient.
12 Gott begeht kein Unrecht,
das ist unvorstellbar!
Der Allmächtige beugt niemals das Recht!
13 Er herrscht über Himmel und Erde,
er hat sie geschaffen.
Niemand steht über ihm!
14 Wenn er wollte, könnte er seinen Geist
und seinen Lebensatem aus dieser Welt zurückziehen,
15 dann würde alles Leben mit einem Schlag sterben,
und die Menschen zerfielen zu Staub!
16 Bist du wirklich weise, Hiob,
dann hör jetzt genau zu, achte auf jedes Wort:
17 Kann einer regieren, wenn er das Recht mit Füßen tritt?
Willst du Gott, den Gerechten,
für schuldig erklären, ihn, den Allmächtigen?
18 Er ist es doch, der skrupellose Könige und gottlose Fürsten verurteilt.
19 Er ergreift nicht Partei für die Mächtigen,
Hochgestellte zieht er den Armen nicht vor –
er hat ja allen das Leben gegeben!
20 Die Fürsten sterben plötzlich,
mitten in der Nacht;
ihr Volk gerät in Aufruhr,
und sie verschwinden.
Ja, die Mächtigen werden beseitigt,
doch nicht von Menschenhand.
21 Denn Gott sieht die Wege eines jeden
und alles, was er unternimmt.
22 Es gibt keine Finsternis und keinen dunklen Ort,
wo Übeltäter sich vor Gott verstecken könnten.
23 Er muss Menschen nicht erst lange verhören
und sie zu sich laden vor Gericht –
24 nein, ohne Verhandlung stürzt er die Mächtigen
und setzt andere an ihrer Stelle ein.
25 Über Nacht lässt er sie fallen
und zugrunde gehen,
denn er weiß, was sie getrieben haben.
26 Er straft sie für ihre Vergehen,
und das in aller Öffentlichkeit.
27 Denn diese Mächtigen wollten Gott nicht mehr gehorchen,
seine Weisungen waren ihnen völlig gleichgültig.
28 Darum stieg der Hilfeschrei der Armen zu ihm empor –
und er hörte ihn!
29 Aber wenn Gott schweigt,
wer will ihn dann beschuldigen?
Wenn er sich verbirgt, wer kann ihn noch erblicken?
Und doch wacht er über den Völkern,
ja, über der ganzen Menschheit;
30 er verhindert,
dass ein gottloser Herrscher an die Macht kommt
und sein Volk ins Unglück stürzt.
31 Der Mensch sollte zu Gott sagen:
›Ich bin schuldig geworden,
aber ich will nichts Böses mehr tun!
32 Zeig mir die Sünden,
die ich selbst nicht erkenne!
Ich habe Unrecht begangen,
doch ich will es nicht mehr tun!‹
33 Du aber weigerst dich umzukehren!
Und wenn es nach dir ginge,
sollte Gott dich dafür noch belohnen!
Du musst eine Entscheidung treffen, nicht ich!
Also, sag mir nun, was du weißt!
34 Wer noch einen Funken Verstand hat,
wird mir zustimmen;
jeder Weise, der mich hört, wird sagen:
35 ›Hiob plappert daher ohne Sinn und Verstand.
Er weiß nicht, was er sagt!‹
36 Ja, Gott soll Hiob weiter durch das Leiden prüfen,
weil er ihm so unverschämt widerspricht!
37 Nicht genug, dass er Schuld auf sich lädt –
er lehnt sich auch noch offen gegen Gott auf!
Laut spottet er vor unseren Ohren
und findet viele Worte gegen ihn.«
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Hoffnung für Alle® (Hope for All) Copyright © 1983, 1996, 2002 by Biblica, Inc.®