Job 34
Swedish New Living Bible (Nya Levande Bibeln)
34 Elihu fortsatte:
2 Hör på mig, ni som är så visa!
3 Vi kan välja att höra det vi vill, liksom vi kan bestämma vad vi vill äta.
4 Låt oss därför välja att göra det som är rätt. Men då måste vi veta vad som verkligen är rätt.
5 Job säger: 'Jag är oskyldig, men Gud vägrar mig rättvisa.
6 Jag har kallats lögnare, fast jag talar sant. Jag har blivit fruktansvärt straffad fast jag inte har syndat.'
7-8 Vem skulle kunna vara så inbilsk som Job? Man måste ha varit mycket tillsammans med onda människor,
9 för att kunna säga: 'Varför kasta bort tid med att försöka behaga Gud?'
10 Hör på mig nu, ni som tror att ni vet allt! Alla vet ju att Gud inte är ond,
11 men han straffar syndare och ger dem vad de förtjänar.
12 Det är otänkbart att Gud skulle göra något som är ont eller orätt.
13 Det är han ensam som har makt över jorden och skipar rättvisa i världen.
14 Om Gud skulle dra tillbaka sin Ande,
15 skulle allt liv försvinna och människan bli till lera igen.
16 Lyssna nu och försök att förstå!
17 Skulle Gud kunna regera om han avskydde rättvisan? Tänker du döma den allsmäktige Domaren?
18 Tänker du döma den Gud som säger till kungar och världshärskare: 'Ni är ogudaktiga och orättvisa?'
19 Inte frågar väl han efter hur stor och framstående en människa är, eller fäster större avseende vid rika än vid fattiga. Han har skapat dem allesammans.
20 De dör på ett ögonblick, och mitt i natten kan vem som helst få sluta sitt liv utan att någon mänsklig hand drabbat dem.
21 Gud vakar över allt vad människorna gör, och han ser dem alla.
22 Inget mörker är så tjockt att det kan dölja den ogudaktige för hans ögon.
23 Därför behöver han inte granska en människa för att ställa henne till svars. Han vet redan allt om henne.
24 Gud behöver ingen domstol för att krossa de mäktiga och sätta andra i deras ställe.
25 Han ser allt de gör, och över en enda natt kan han utplåna dem.
26 Han bestraffar dem för deras ogudaktighet så att alla kan se det.
27 De har vägrat att följa honom och bryr sig inte om hans vägar.
28 De har fått de fattigas och förtrycktas rop att nå upp till Gud, och han hör dem.
29-30 Men vem vill döma honom om han inte svarar? Vem kan tvinga honom att visa sig? Han har ändå makt att hindra den ogudaktige från att regera och på så sätt rädda ett land från undergång och skona dess folk.
31 Varför säger man då inte till sin Gud: 'Jag har syndat och ska inte göra det mer.
32 Jag vet inte vad jag har gjort för ont, men tala om det för mig, så ska jag inte göra så mer'?
33 Måste då Gud forma sin rättvisa efter din vilja, trots att du vägrar att böja dig? Du får avgöra, inte jag! Säg mig vad du anser!
34-35 Den som har förstånd måste hålla med mig om att du, Job, talar dåraktigt.
36 Jag hoppas din dumhet blir prövad.
37 Till dina andra synder har du nu också lagt uppror och hädelse.
Job 34
Holman Christian Standard Bible
34 Then Elihu continued,[a] saying:
2 Hear my words, you wise men,
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 brings his ways on him.
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 themselves.(O)
23 God does not need to examine a person further,
that one should[c] 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,[d]
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 afflicted.(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
Modern English Version
Elihu Proclaims God’s Justice
34 Furthermore Elihu answered and said:
2 “Hear my words, O you wise men;
and give ear unto me, you that have knowledge.
3 For the ear tests words,
as the mouth tastes food.
4 Let us choose justice for ourselves;
let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 “For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
but God has taken away my judgment.
6 Should I lie concerning my right?
My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7 What man is like Job,
who drinks scorn like water,
8 who goes in company with the workers of iniquity
and walks with wicked men?
9 For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
that he should delight himself in God.’
10 “Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding:
Far be it from God that He should do wickedness,
and from the Almighty that He should commit iniquity.
11 He will repay a man for his work,
and cause every man to find what is according to his ways.
12 Yes, surely God will not do wickedly,
nor will the Almighty pervert judgment.
13 Who has given Him charge over the earth?
Or who has set in order the whole world?
14 If He sets His heart on man,
if He gathers unto Himself His Spirit and His breath,
15 all flesh will perish together,
and man will turn again to dust.
16 “If now you have understanding, hear this;
listen to the voice of my words:
17 Should he who hates justice govern?
And will you condemn Him who is most just?
18 Is it fitting to say to a king, ‘You are wicked’?
And to princes, ‘You are ungodly’?
19 Yet He is not partial to princes,
nor does He regard the rich more than the poor.
For they all are the work of His hands.
20 In a moment they will die,
and the people will be troubled at midnight and pass away,
and the mighty will be taken away without a hand.
21 “For His eyes are upon the ways of man,
and He sees 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 will break in pieces mighty men without number,
and set others in their place.
25 Therefore He knows their works,
and He overturns them in the night
so that they are destroyed.
26 He strikes 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 hears the cry of the afflicted.
29 When He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?
And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him,
whether it is done against a nation or against a man only?
30 That the hypocrite should not reign,
lest the people be ensnared.
31 “Should anyone say to God,
‘I have borne chastisement, I will offend no more;
32 teach me what I do not see;
if I have done iniquity, I will do no more’?
33 Should it be according to your mind?
He will repay it, whether you refuse or whether you choose,
and not I; therefore speak what you know.
34 “Let men of understanding say to me,
wise men who listen to me:
35 ‘Job has spoken without knowledge,
and his words were without wisdom.’
36 My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end,
because he answers like wicked men.
37 For he adds rebellion unto his sin;
he claps his hands among us,
and multiplies his words against God.”
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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.