Job 34
Legacy Standard Bible
Elihu Answers That God Will Be Just
34 Then Elihu answered and said,
2 “Hear my speech, you wise men,
And give ear to me, you who know.
3 For (A)the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
4 Let us choose for ourselves what is just;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job has said, ‘(B)I am righteous,
But (C)God has removed my justice;
6 [a]Should I lie concerning my justice?
My [b](D)wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7 What man is like Job,
Who (E)drinks up mocking like water,
8 But he travels (F)in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?
9 For he has said, ‘(G)It is of no use to a man
When he [c]is pleased with God.’
10 “Therefore, listen to me, you men with a heart of wisdom.
Far be it from God to (H)do injustice,
And from the Almighty to do wrong.
11 For He pays a man according to (I)his work,
And makes [d]him find it according to his way.
12 Truly, (J)God will not act wickedly,
And the Almighty will not pervert justice.
13 Who (K)appointed Him with authority over the earth?
And who (L)has laid on Him the whole world?
14 If He should set His heart on it,
If He should (M)gather to Himself His spirit and His breath,
15 All (N)flesh would breathe its last together,
And man would (O)return to dust.
16 “But if you have understanding, hear this;
Give ear to the sound of my speech.
17 Shall (P)one who hates justice [e]rule?
And (Q)will you condemn the righteous mighty One,
18 Who says to a king, ‘Vile one,’
To nobles, ‘Wicked ones’;
19 Who shows no (R)partiality to princes
Nor recognizes the rich above the poor,
For they all are the (S)work of His hands?
20 In a moment they die, and (T)at midnight
People are shaken and pass away,
And (U)the mighty are taken away without a hand.
21 “For (V)His eyes are upon the ways of a man,
And He sees all his steps.
22 There is (W)no darkness or shadow of death
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 [f]For He does not (X)need to consider a man further,
That he should go before God in judgment.
24 He breaks in pieces (Y)mighty men without searching anything out,
And sets others in their place.
25 Therefore He (Z)recognizes their labors,
And (AA)He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
26 He (AB)strikes them like the wicked
[g]In a public place,
27 Because they (AC)turned aside from following Him,
And (AD)had no insight from any of His ways;
28 So that they caused (AE)the cry of the poor to come to Him,
And that He might (AF)hear the cry of the afflicted.
29 So if He keeps quiet, who then can condemn?
So if He hides His face, who then can perceive Him?
He is above both nation and man altogether,
30 So that (AG)godless men would not rule
Nor be snares of the people.
31 “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastisement;
I will not work destructively anymore;
32 Instruct me what I do not behold;
If I have (AH)done injustice,
I will not do it again’?
33 Shall He (AI)repay on your terms, because you have rejected it?
For you must choose, and not I;
Therefore say what you know.
34 Men with a heart of wisdom will say to me,
And a wise man who hears me,
35 ‘Job (AJ)speaks without knowledge,
And his words are without insight.
36 Job ought to be tested [h]to the limit
Because he answers (AK)like wicked men.
37 For he adds (AL)transgression to his sin;
He (AM)strikes his hands together among us,
And multiplies his words against God.’”
Footnotes
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.
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