Job 35
Living Bible
35 Elihu continued:
2-3 “Do you think it is right for you to claim, ‘I haven’t sinned, but I’m no better off before God than if I had’?
4 “I will answer you and all your friends too. 5 Look up there into the sky, high above you. 6 If you sin, does that shake the heavens and knock God from his throne? Even if you sin again and again, what effect will it have upon him? 7 Or if you are good, is this some great gift to him? 8 Your sins may hurt another man, or your good deeds may profit him. 9-10 The oppressed may shriek beneath their wrongs and groan beneath the power of the rich; yet none of them cry to God, asking, ‘Where is God my Maker who gives songs in the night 11 and makes us a little wiser than the animals and birds?’
12 “But when anyone does cry out this question to him, he never replies by instant punishment of the tyrants.[a] 13 But it is false to say he doesn’t hear those cries; 14-15 and it is even more false to say that he doesn’t see what is going on. He does bring about justice at last if you will only wait. But do you cry out against him because he does not instantly respond in anger? 16 Job, you have spoken like a fool.”
Footnotes
- Job 35:12 by instant punishment of the tyrants, or “because of man’s base pride.”
Job 35
New King James Version
Elihu Condemns Self-Righteousness
35 Moreover Elihu answered and said:
2 “Do you think this is right?
Do you say,
‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
3 For (A)you say,
‘What advantage will it be to You?
What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?’
4 “I will answer you,
And (B)your companions with you.
5 (C)Look to the heavens and see;
And behold the clouds—
They are higher than you.
6 If you sin, what do you accomplish (D)against Him?
Or, if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to Him?
7 (E)If you are righteous, what do you give Him?
Or what does He receive from your hand?
8 Your wickedness affects a man such as you,
And your righteousness a son of man.
9 “Because(F) of the multitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry out for help because of the arm of the mighty.
10 But no one says, (G)‘Where is God my Maker,
(H)Who gives songs in the night,
11 Who (I)teaches us more than the beasts of the earth,
And makes us wiser than the birds of heaven?’
12 (J)There they cry out, but He does not answer,
Because of the pride of evil men.
13 (K)Surely God will not listen to empty talk,
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
14 (L)Although you say you do not see Him,
Yet justice is before Him, and (M)you must wait for Him.
15 And now, because He has not (N)punished in His anger,
Nor taken much notice of folly,
16 (O)Therefore Job opens his mouth in vain;
He multiplies words without knowledge.”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
