Job 34
Names of God Bible
Elihu Continues: Listen, Everyone
34 Elihu continued to speak to Job and his friends,
2 “Listen to my words, you wise men.
Open your ears to me, you intelligent men.
3 The ear tests words
like the tongue tastes food.
4 Let’s decide for ourselves what is right
and agree among ourselves as to what is good,
5 because Job has said,
‘I’m righteous, but El has taken away my rights.
6 I’m considered a liar in spite of my rights.
I’ve been wounded by a deadly arrow,
though I haven’t been disobedient.’
7 What person is like Job,
who drinks scorn like water,
8 who travels with troublemakers
and associates with evil people?
9 He says, ‘It doesn’t do any good to try to please Elohim.’
10 “You people who have understanding, listen to me.
It is unthinkable that El would ever do evil
or that Shadday would ever do wicked things.
11 God will repay humanity for what it has done
and will give each person what he deserves.
12 Certainly, El will never do anything evil,
and Shadday will never pervert justice.
13 Who put him in charge of the earth?
Who appointed him to be over the whole world?
14 If he thought only of himself
and withdrew his Spirit and his breath,
15 all living beings would die together,
and humanity would return to dust.
God Is Fair
16 “If you understand, listen to this.
Open your ears to my words!
17 Should anyone who hates justice be allowed to govern?
Will you condemn the one who is righteous and mighty?
18 Should anyone even say to a king,
‘You good-for-nothing scoundrel!’
or to nobles, ‘You wicked people!’
19 The one who is righteous and mighty
does not grant special favors to princes
or prefer important people over poor people
because his hands made them all.
20 They die suddenly in the middle of the night.
People have seizures and pass away.
Mighty people are taken away but not by human hands.
21 God’s eyes are on a person’s ways.
He sees all his steps.
22 There’s no darkness or deep shadow
where troublemakers can hide.
23 He doesn’t have to set a time for a person
in order to bring him to divine judgment.
24 He breaks mighty people into pieces without examining them
and puts others in their places.
25 He knows what they do,
so he overthrows them at night, and they’re crushed.
26 In return for their evil, he strikes them in public,
27 because they turned away from following him
and didn’t consider any of his ways.
28 They forced the poor to cry out to him,
and he hears the cry of those who suffer.
29 If he keeps quiet, who can condemn him?
If he hides his face, who can see him
whether it is a nation or a single person?
30 He does this so that godless people cannot rule
and so that they cannot trap people.
31 “But suppose such a person says to El, ‘I am guilty,
I will stop my immoral behavior.
32 Teach me what I cannot see.
If I’ve done wrong, I won’t do it again.’
33 Should El reward you on your own terms since you have rejected his?
You must choose, not I.
Tell me what you know. Speak!
Elihu Makes an Appeal to God
34 “People of understanding, the wise people
who listen to me, will say,
35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge.
His words show no insight.’
36 “Ab, let Job be thoroughly tested
for giving answers like wicked people do.
37 He adds disobedience to his sin.
He claps his hands to insult us.
He multiplies his words against El.”
Job 34
Tree of Life Version
Testing Job’s Claims
34 Then Elihu answered:
2 “Hear my words, you wise men;
give ear to me, you men of learning.
3 For the ear tests words
as the mouth tastes food.
4 Let us choose for ourselves what is right;
Let us learn together what is good.
5 “For Job says, ‘I am righteous,
but God has deprived me of justice.
6 Concerning my right, should I lie?
My wound is incurable, although I am without transgression.’
7 What man is like Job,
who drinks mockery like water,
8 who keeps company with evildoers,
and walks with wicked men?
9 For he says, ‘It does not profit a man
when he makes his delight with God.’
10 “Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding:
Wickedness is far from God, injustice from Shaddai
11 For He repays a person for what he has done,
and brings on the person what he deserves.
12 “Truly God does not act wickedly,
and Shaddai does not pervert justice.
13 Who appointed Him over the earth?
Who put Him over the whole world?
14 “If He were to set His heart on it,
and gather to Himself His Ruach and breath,
15 all flesh would perish together
and mankind would return to dust.[a]
16 “Now if you have understanding, hear this;
give ear to the sound of my words.
17 Can someone who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn the mighty, righteous One?
18 Who says to a king, ‘Worthless man’
and to nobles, ‘Wicked men’!
19 Who shows no partiality before princes,
and does not favor the rich over the poor,
for they are all the work of His hands.
20 They die in a moment, at midnight,
people are shaken and they pass away.
The mighty are removed without a hand.
21 “For His eyes are on the ways of man;
He sees all his steps.
22 There is no gloom and no deep darkness,
where evildoers can hide themselves.
23 For He does not consider a man further
that he should go before God in judgment.
24 He shatters the mighty without inquiry,
and sets others in their place.
25 Thus He recognizes their deeds,
He overturns them in the night and they are crushed.
26 He strikes them for their wickedness
in a place where people can see,
27 because they turned from following Him,
and have not understood any of His ways.
28 They caused the cry of the poor to come before Him,
so that He hears the cry of the afflicted.
29 “But if He is quiet, who can condemn Him?
If He hides His face, who can see Him?
Yet He is over a nation and an individual alike,
30 so that godless men should not rule,
nor lay snares for people.
31 “Suppose someone says to God, ‘I have born chastisement,
but I will not act wickedly any more.
32 Teach me what I cannot see.
If I have done evil, I will not do it again.’
33 Should He requite it on your terms,
because you reject it?
But you must choose and not I;
now declare what you know.
34 “Men of understanding declare,
wise men who hear me say to me,
35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge,
and his words lack understanding.’
36 Oh, that Job might be tested to the end,
for answering like wicked men.
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin;
in our midst he claps his hands
and multiplies his words against God.”
Footnotes
- Job 34:15 cf. Acts 17:25, 28.
Job 34
1599 Geneva Bible
34 5 Elihu chargeth Job, that he called himself righteous. 12 He showeth that God is just in his judgments. 24 God destroyeth the mighty. 30 By him the hypocrite reigneth.
1 Moreover Elihu answered and said,
2 Hear my words, ye [a]wise men, and hearken unto me ye that have knowledge.
3 For the ear trieth the words, as the mouth tasteth meat.
4 Let us seek [b]judgment among us, and let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job hath said, I am righteous, and God hath taken [c]away my judgment.
6 Should I lie in my [d]right? my wound of the arrow is [e]grievous without my sin.
7 What man is like Job, that drinketh [f]scornfulness like water?
8 Which goeth in the [g]company of them that work iniquity, and walketh with wicked men?
9 For he hath said, It [h]profiteth a man nothing that he should [i]walk with God.
10 Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of wisdom, God forbid that wickedness should be in God, and iniquity in the Almighty.
11 For he will render unto man according to his work, and cause everyone to find according to his way.
12 And certainly God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.
13 Whom (A)hath he appointed over the earth besides himself? or who hath placed the whole world?
14 If [j]he set his heart upon man, and gather unto himself his spirit [k]and his breath,
15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall return unto dust.
16 And if thou hast understanding, hear this, and hearken to the voice of my words.
17 Shall he that hateth judgment, [l]govern? and wilt thou judge him wicked that is most just?
18 Wilt thou say unto a king, Thou art [m]wicked? or to princes, Ye are ungodly?
19 How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, and regardeth not the rich, more than the poor? for they be all the work of his hands.
20 They shall die suddenly, [n]and the people shall be troubled at midnight, [o]and they shall pass forth and take away the mighty without hand.
21 For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
22 There is no darkness nor shadow of death, that the workers of iniquity might be hid therein.
23 For he will not lay on man so much, that he should [p]enter into judgment with God.
24 He shall break the mighty without [q]seeking, and shall set up others in their stead.
25 Therefore shall he declare their [r]works: he shall turn the [s]night, and they shall be destroyed.
26 He striketh them as wicked men in the places of the [t]seers,
27 Because they have turned back from him, and would not consider all his ways:
28 So that they have caused the voice of the poor to [u]come unto him, and he hath heard the cry of the afflicted.
29 And when he giveth quietness, who can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who can behold him, whether it be upon nations, or upon a man only?
30 Because the [v]hypocrite doth reign, and because the people are snared.
31 Surely it appertaineth unto God [w]to say, I have pardoned, I will not destroy.
32 [x]But if I see not, teach thou me: if I have done wickedly, I will do no more.
33 Will he perform the thing through [y]thee? for thou hast reproved [z]it, because that thou hast chosen, and not I: now speak what thou knowest.
34 Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.
35 Job hath not spoken of knowledge, neither were his words according to wisdom.
36 I desire that Job may be [aa]tried, unto the end, touching the answers for wicked men.
37 For he [ab]addeth rebellion unto his sin, he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God.
Footnotes
- Job 34:2 Which are esteemed wise of the world.
- Job 34:4 Let us examine the matter uprightly.
- Job 34:5 That is, hath afflicted me without measure.
- Job 34:6 Should I say, I am wicked, being an innocent?
- Job 34:6 I am sorer punished, than my sin deserveth.
- Job 34:7 Which is compelled to receive thy reproach and scorns of many for his foolish words.
- Job 34:8 Meaning, that Job was like to the wicked, because he seemed not to glorify God and submit himself to his judgments.
- Job 34:9 He wresteth Job’s words who said that God’s children are ofttimes punished in this world, and the wicked go free.
- Job 34:9 That is, live godly, as Gen. 5:22.
- Job 34:14 To destroy him.
- Job 34:14 The breath of life which he gave man.
- Job 34:17 If God were not just, how could he govern the world?
- Job 34:18 If man of nature fear to speak evil of such as have power, then much more ought they to be afraid to speak evil of God.
- Job 34:20 When they look not for it.
- Job 34:20 The messengers of visitation that God shall send.
- Job 34:23 God doth not afflict man above measure, so that he should have occasion to contend with him.
- Job 34:24 For all his creatures are at hand to serve him, so that he needeth not to seek for any other army.
- Job 34:25 Make them manifest that they are wicked.
- Job 34:25 Declare the things that were hid.
- Job 34:26 Meaning, openly in the sight of all men.
- Job 34:28 By their cruelty and extortion.
- Job 34:30 When tyrants sit in the throne of justice which under pretence of executing justice are but hypocrites and oppress the people, it is a sign that God hath drawn back his countenance of favor from that place.
- Job 34:31 Only it belongeth to God to moderate his corrections, and not unto man.
- Job 34:32 Thus Elihu speaketh in the person of God, as it were mocking Job, because he would be wiser than God.
- Job 34:33 Will God use thy counsel in doing his works?
- Job 34:33 Thus he speaketh in the person of God, as though Job should choose and refuse affliction at his pleasure.
- Job 34:36 That he may speak as much as he can, that we may answer him and all the wicked that shall use such arguments.
- Job 34:37 He standeth stubbornly in the maintenance of his cause.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
