Job 34
New American Standard Bible
Elihu Vindicates God’s Justice
34 Then Elihu continued and said,
2 “Hear my words, you wise men,
And listen to me, you who understand.
3 For (A)the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
4 Let us choose for ourselves what is right;
Let us understand among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job has said, ‘(B)I am righteous,
But (C)God has taken away my right;
6 [a]Should I lie about my right?
My [b](D)wound is incurable, though I am without wrongdoing.’
7 What man is like Job,
Who (E)drinks up derision like water,
8 Who goes (F)in company with the workers of injustice,
And walks with wicked people?
9 For he has said, ‘(G)It is of no use to a man
When he becomes friends with God.’
10 “Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding.
Far be it from God to (H)do evil,
And from the Almighty to do wrong.
11 For He repays a person for (I)his work,
And lets things happen in correspondence to a man’s [c]behavior.
12 (J)God certainly will not act wickedly,
And the Almighty will not pervert justice.
13 Who (K)gave Him authority over the earth?
And who (L)has placed the whole world on Him?
14 If He were to [d]determine to do so,
If He were to (M)gather His [e]spirit and His breath to Himself,
15 [f](N)Humanity would perish together,
And mankind would (O)return to dust.
16 “But if you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words.
17 Shall (P)one who hates justice rule?
And (Q)will you condemn the righteous mighty One,
18 Who says to a king, ‘You worthless one,’
To nobles, ‘You wicked one’;
19 Who shows no (R)partiality to the prominent,
Nor regards the rich as above the poor,
Since they are all 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 powerful are taken away without a hand.
21 “For (V)His eyes are upon the ways of a person,
And He sees all his steps.
22 There is (W)no darkness or deep shadow
Where the workers of injustice can hide themselves.
23 For He does not (X)need to consider a person further,
That he should go before God in judgment.
24 He breaks in pieces the (Y)mighty without investigation,
And sets others in their place.
25 Therefore He (Z)knows their deeds,
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 regard for any of His ways,
28 So that they caused (AE)the cry of the poor to come to Him,
And that He would (AF)hear the cry of the afflicted—
29 When He keeps quiet, who can condemn?
And when He hides His face, who then can look at Him,
That is, regarding both nation and a person?—
30 So that (AG)godless people would not rule,
Nor be snares for the people.
31 “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have endured punishment;
I will not offend anymore;
32 Teach me what I do not see;
If I have (AH)done wrong,
I will not do it again’?
33 Shall God (AI)repay on your terms, because you have rejected His?
For you must choose, and not I;
Therefore declare what you know.
34 Men of understanding will say to me,
And a wise man who hears me,
35 ‘Job (AJ)speaks without knowledge,
And his words are without wisdom.
36 Oh that Job were tested [h]to the limit,
Because [i]he answers (AK)like sinners.
37 For he adds (AL)rebellion to his sin;
He (AM)claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.’”
Job 34
Common English Bible
34 Elihu continued:
2 Hear my words, wise ones;
knowledgeable ones, listen to me,
3 for the ear tests words
like the palate tastes food.
4 Let’s choose for us what’s right;
let’s determine among ourselves what’s good;
5 for Job has said, “I’m innocent;
God has denied my just cause;
6 because of my cause I’m thought a liar;
my wound from an arrow is incurable, even though I didn’t rebel.”
7 Who is a man like Job?
He drinks mockery like water
8 and travels a path with wrongdoers,
walking with evil persons.
9 Indeed he said, “No one is rewarded
for delighting in God.”
10 Therefore, intelligent ones, hear me;
far be it from God to do evil
and the Almighty to sin,
11 for he repays people based on what they do,
paying back everyone according to their ways.
12 Surely God doesn’t act wickedly;
the Almighty doesn’t distort justice.
13 Who placed earth in his care,
and who gave him dominion over the entire world?
14 If he were to decide to do it—
to gather his spirit and breath back to himself—
15 all flesh would die together,
and humans would return to dust.
16 But if you have understanding, hear this;
pay attention to the sound of my words.
17 Will one who hates justice rule;
will you condemn the most righteous one?
18 Will you say to a king, “Worthless!”
to royalty, “Evil!”
19 Who shows no favor to princes
nor regards the rich over the poor,
for they are all the work of God’s hands?
20 In the middle of the night they suddenly die;
people are shaken and pass away.
The mighty are removed, not by a human hand.
21 God’s eyes are on human ways,
and he sees all their steps.
22 There’s no darkness, no deep darkness,
where evildoers can hide themselves;
23 surely no time is set for a person
to appear before God in judgment.
24 He shatters the mighty without examining them;
makes others take their place.
25 Thus he regards their deeds,
overturns them at night, and they are crushed.
26 He strikes them because of their wickedness
at a place where people can see it.
27 Because they turned from following him
and didn’t value all his ways,
28 causing the cry of the poor to reach him,
he hears the cry of the afflicted.
29 Still, if he remains quiet, who can condemn;
if he hides his face, who can see him?
30 He prevents a lawless person from ruling,
from capturing people.
31 Has Job said to God,
“I have borne punishment; I won’t sin again?
32 You teach me what I can’t see;
if I’ve sinned, I won’t do it again.”
33 Will he repay you because you reject sin,
for you must choose, not I;
declare what you know.
34 Smart people say to me,
the wise who hear me,
35 “Job speaks without knowledge;
his words aren’t astute.”
36 I wish Job would be tested to the limit
because he responds like evil people.
37 He adds rebellion to his sin;
mocks us openly
and adds to his words against God.
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