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Sin’s impact

35 Elihu continued:

Do you think it right?
    You say, “I’m more just than God.”
Yet you ask, “What does it benefit you?
    What have I gained by avoiding sin?”
I’ll answer you,
    and your friends along with you.
Look at the heavens and see;
    scan the clouds high over you.
If you’ve sinned, how have you affected God?
    Your offenses have multiplied;
    what have you done to him?
If you are righteous,
    what do you give to him?
    Or what does he receive from your hand?
Your evil affects others like you,
    and your righteousness affects fellow human beings.
People cry out because of heavy oppression;
    shout under the power of the mighty.
10 But no one says, “Where is God my maker;
    who gives songs in the night;
11     who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth,
    makes us wiser than the birds in the sky?”
12 Then they cry out; but he doesn’t answer,
    because of the pride of the wicked.
13 God certainly doesn’t respond to a deceitful cry;
    the Almighty doesn’t pay attention to it.
14 Although you say that you don’t see him,
    the case is before him;
    so wait anxiously for him.
15 Even though his anger is now held back,
    a person doesn’t know it’s only delayed.[a]
16 So Job mouths emptiness;
    he piles up ignorant words.

Footnotes

  1. Job 35:15 Heb uncertain

35 Elihu went on to say:

“Are you so convinced you are right,
that you say, ‘I am more just than God’?
For you ask what advantage it is to you,
‘How do I gain from not sinning?’

“Here is my answer to you,
to you and to your friends:
Look at the heavens and see;
observe the skies, high above you.
If you sin, how do you hurt him?
If your crimes are many, how do you affect him?
If you are righteous, what do you give him?
What benefit does he get from you?
Your wickedness can affect only others like you,
and your righteousness only other human beings.
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.”

35 Elihu spoke further [to Job] and said,

Do you think this is your right, or are you saying, My righteousness is more than God’s,

That you ask, What advantage have you? How am I profited more than if I had sinned?

I will answer you and your companions with you.

Look to the heavens and see; and behold the skies which are higher than you.

If you have sinned, how does that affect God? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what have you done to Him?

If you are righteous, what do you [by that] give God? Or what does He receive from your hand?

Your wickedness touches and affects a man such as you are, and your righteousness is for yourself, one of the human race [but it cannot touch God, Who is above such influence].

Because of the multitudes of oppressions the people cry out; they cry for help because of the violence of the mighty.

10 But no one says, Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs of rejoicing in the night,(A)

11 Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?

12 [The people] cry out because of the pride of evil men, but He does not answer.

13 Surely God will refuse to answer [the cry which is] vanity (vain and empty—instead of abiding trust); neither will the Almighty regard it—

14 How much less when [missing His righteous judgment on earth] you say that you do not see Him, that your cause is before Him, and you are waiting for Him!

15 But now because God has not [speedily] punished in His anger and seems to be unaware of the wrong and oppression [of which a person is guilty],

16 Job uselessly opens his mouth and multiplies words without knowledge [drawing the worthless conclusion that the righteous have no more advantage than the wicked].

35 Then Elihu said:

“Do you think this is just?
    You say, ‘I am in the right,(A) not God.’(B)
Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me,[a]
    and what do I gain by not sinning?’(C)

“I would like to reply to you
    and to your friends with you.
Look up at the heavens(D) and see;
    gaze at the clouds so high above you.(E)
If you sin, how does that affect him?
    If your sins are many, what does that do to him?(F)
If you are righteous, what do you give to him,(G)
    or what does he receive(H) from your hand?(I)
Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself,(J)
    and your righteousness only other people.(K)

“People cry out(L) under a load of oppression;(M)
    they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful.(N)
10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,(O)
    who gives songs(P) in the night,(Q)
11 who teaches(R) us(S) more than he teaches[b] the beasts of the earth
    and makes us wiser than[c] the birds in the sky?’
12 He does not answer(T) when people cry out
    because of the arrogance(U) of the wicked.(V)
13 Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea;
    the Almighty pays no attention to it.(W)
14 How much less, then, will he listen
    when you say that you do not see him,(X)
that your case(Y) is before him
    and you must wait for him,(Z)
15 and further, that his anger never punishes(AA)
    and he does not take the least notice of wickedness.[d](AB)
16 So Job opens his mouth with empty talk;(AC)
    without knowledge he multiplies words.”(AD)

Footnotes

  1. Job 35:3 Or you
  2. Job 35:11 Or night, / 11 who teaches us by
  3. Job 35:11 Or us wise by
  4. Job 35:15 Symmachus, Theodotion and Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.