Job 34
New Living Translation
Elihu Accuses Job of Arrogance
34 Then Elihu said:
2 “Listen to me, you wise men.
Pay attention, you who have knowledge.
3 Job said, ‘The ear tests the words it hears
just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.’
4 So let us discern for ourselves what is right;
let us learn together what is good.
5 For Job also said, ‘I am innocent,
but God has taken away my rights.
6 I am innocent, but they call me a liar.
My suffering is incurable, though I have not sinned.’
7 “Tell me, has there ever been a man like Job,
with his thirst for irreverent talk?
8 He chooses evil people as companions.
He spends his time with wicked men.
9 He has even said, ‘Why waste time
trying to please God?’
10 “Listen to me, you who have understanding.
Everyone knows that God doesn’t sin!
The Almighty can do no wrong.
11 He repays people according to their deeds.
He treats people as they deserve.
12 Truly, God will not do wrong.
The Almighty will not twist justice.
13 Did someone else put the world in his care?
Who set the whole world in place?
14 If God were to take back his spirit
and withdraw his breath,
15 all life would cease,
and humanity would turn again to dust.
16 “Now listen to me if you are wise.
Pay attention to what I say.
17 Could God govern if he hated justice?
Are you going to condemn the almighty judge?
18 For he says to kings, ‘You are wicked,’
and to nobles, ‘You are unjust.’
19 He doesn’t care how great a person may be,
and he pays no more attention to the rich than to the poor.
He made them all.
20 In a moment they die.
In the middle of the night they pass away;
the mighty are removed without human hand.
21 “For God watches how people live;
he sees everything they do.
22 No darkness is thick enough
to hide the wicked from his eyes.
23 We don’t set the time
when we will come before God in judgment.
24 He brings the mighty to ruin without asking anyone,
and he sets up others in their place.
25 He knows what they do,
and in the night he overturns and destroys them.
26 He strikes them down because they are wicked,
doing it openly for all to see.
27 For they turned away from following him.
They have no respect for any of his ways.
28 They cause the poor to cry out, catching God’s attention.
He hears the cries of the needy.
29 But if he chooses to remain quiet,
who can criticize him?
When he hides his face, no one can find him,
whether an individual or a nation.
30 He prevents the godless from ruling
so they cannot be a snare to the people.
31 “Why don’t people say to God, ‘I have sinned,
but I will sin no more’?
32 Or ‘I don’t know what evil I have done—tell me.
If I have done wrong, I will stop at once’?
33 “Must God tailor his justice to your demands?
But you have rejected him!
The choice is yours, not mine.
Go ahead, share your wisdom with us.
34 After all, bright people will tell me,
and wise people will hear me say,
35 ‘Job speaks out of ignorance;
his words lack insight.’
36 Job, you deserve the maximum penalty
for the wicked way you have talked.
37 For you have added rebellion to your sin;
you show no respect,
and you speak many angry words against God.”
Job 34
Easy-to-Read Version
34 Then Elihu continued his speech:
2 “Listen to what I say, you wise men.
Pay attention, you who know so much.
3 Your tongue tastes the food it touches,
and your ear tests the words it hears.
4 So let us test these arguments and decide for ourselves what is right.
Together we will learn what is good.
5 Job says, ‘I am innocent,
and God is not being fair to me.
6 I am right, but I am judged to be a liar.
I have done no wrong, but I am badly hurt.’
7 “Would anyone but Job say such things?
He has more thirst for insulting God than for water.
8 He is a friend of evil people.
He likes to spend time with the wicked.
9 I know this because he says,
‘You will gain nothing if you try to please God.’
10 “You men can understand, so listen to me.
God would never do what is evil!
God All-Powerful would never do wrong.
11 He pays us back for what we have done.
He gives us what we deserve.
12 The truth is that God does no wrong.
God All-Powerful is always fair.
13 No one chose God to be in charge of the earth.
No one gave him responsibility for the whole world.
14 If God decided to take away his spirit
and the breath of life he gave us,
15 then everything on earth would die.
We would all become dust again.
16 “If you men are wise,
you will listen to what I say.
17 Can someone be a ruler if he hates justice?
Job, God is not only powerful, but he is fair.
Do you think you can judge him guilty?
18 God is the one who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’
He says to leaders, ‘You are evil!’
19 He does not respect leaders more than other people.
And he does not respect the rich more than the poor.
God made everyone.
20 Any of us can die suddenly, in the middle of the night.
Anyone can get sick and pass away.
Even powerful people die for no reason we can see.
21 “God watches what people do.
He sees every step they take.
22 There is no place dark enough
for evil people to hide from God.
23 God does not need to set a time
for people to come before him and be judged.
24 He does not have to ask questions when people do wrong,
even if they are powerful leaders.
He simply destroys them
and chooses others to take their place.
25 When he learns what people have done,
he defeats them, and overnight they are gone.
26 He will punish them for the evil they have done,
and he will do it where everyone can see.
27 He will do this because they rebelled against him
and ignored what he wanted.
28 They hurt the poor and made them cry to God for help.
And he hears their cry!
29 But if God decides not to help them,
no one can judge him guilty.
If he hides himself, no one can find him.
He is the ruler over every person and nation.
30 He keeps the wicked from ruling
so that they will not bring harm to the people.
31 “A person should say to God,
‘I am guilty; I will not sin anymore.
32 Show me the sins I am not able to see.
If I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’
33 Job, you want God to reward you,
but you refuse to change.
It is your decision, not mine.
Tell me what you think.
34 A wise person would listen to me.
A wise person would say,
35 ‘Job talks like an ignorant person.
What he says doesn’t make sense!’
36 I think Job should be punished even more,
because he answers us like someone who is evil!
37 He adds rebellion to his other sins.
He sits there insulting us and arguing with God!”
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International