Job 34
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Elihu Proclaims God’s Justice
34 Then Elihu continued and said:
2 “Hear my words, you wise men,
and give ear to me, you who know,
3 for the ear tests words
as the palate tastes food.(A)
4 Let us choose what is right;
let us determine among ourselves what is good.(B)
5 For Job has said, ‘I am innocent,
and God has taken away my right;
6 in spite of being right I am counted a liar;
my wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’(C)
7 Who is there like Job,
who drinks up scoffing like water,(D)
8 who goes in company with evildoers
and walks with the wicked?(E)
9 For he has said, ‘It profits one nothing
to take delight in God.’(F)
10 “Therefore, hear me, you who have sense;
far be it from God that he should do wickedness
and from the Almighty[a] that he should do wrong.(G)
11 For according to their deeds he will repay them,
and according to their ways he will make it befall them.(H)
12 Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,
and the Almighty[b] will not pervert justice.(I)
13 Who gave him charge over the earth,
and who laid on him[c] the whole world?(J)
14 If he should take back his spirit[d] to himself
and gather to himself his breath,(K)
15 all flesh would perish together,
and all mortals return to dust.(L)
16 “If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I say.
17 Shall one who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn one who is righteous and mighty,(M)
18 who says to a king, ‘You scoundrel!’
and to princes, ‘You wicked men!’;(N)
19 who shows no partiality to nobles,
nor regards the rich more than the poor,
for they are all the work of his hands?(O)
20 In a moment they die;
at midnight the people are shaken and pass away,
and the mighty are taken away by no human hand.(P)
21 “For his eyes are upon the ways of mortals,
and he sees all their steps.(Q)
22 There is no gloom or deep darkness
where evildoers may hide themselves.(R)
23 For he has not appointed a time[e] for anyone
to go before God in judgment.
24 He shatters the mighty without investigation
and sets others in their place.(S)
25 Thus, knowing their works,
he overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.(T)
26 He strikes them for their wickedness
while others look on,(U)
27 because they turned aside from following him
and had no regard for any of his ways,(V)
28 so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him,
and he heard the cry of the afflicted—(W)
29 When he is quiet, who can condemn?
When he hides his face, who can behold him?
Whether nation or person, it is the same—(X)
30 so that the godless should not reign
or those who ensnare the people.(Y)
31 “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have endured punishment; I will not offend any more;
32 teach me what I do not see;
if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?(Z)
33 Will he then pay back to suit you
because you reject it?
For you must choose and not I;
therefore declare what you know.[f]
34 Those who have sense will say to me,
and the wise who hear me will say,
35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge;
his words are without insight.’(AA)
36 Would that Job were tried to the limit,
because his answers are those of the wicked.(AB)
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin;
he claps his hands among us
and multiplies his words against God.”
Job 34
New Living Translation
Elihu Accuses Job of Arrogance
34 Then Elihu said:
2 “Listen to me, you wise men.
Pay attention, you who have knowledge.
3 Job said, ‘The ear tests the words it hears
just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.’
4 So let us discern for ourselves what is right;
let us learn together what is good.
5 For Job also said, ‘I am innocent,
but God has taken away my rights.
6 I am innocent, but they call me a liar.
My suffering is incurable, though I have not sinned.’
7 “Tell me, has there ever been a man like Job,
with his thirst for irreverent talk?
8 He chooses evil people as companions.
He spends his time with wicked men.
9 He has even said, ‘Why waste time
trying to please God?’
10 “Listen to me, you who have understanding.
Everyone knows that God doesn’t sin!
The Almighty can do no wrong.
11 He repays people according to their deeds.
He treats people as they deserve.
12 Truly, God will not do wrong.
The Almighty will not twist justice.
13 Did someone else put the world in his care?
Who set the whole world in place?
14 If God were to take back his spirit
and withdraw his breath,
15 all life would cease,
and humanity would turn again to dust.
16 “Now listen to me if you are wise.
Pay attention to what I say.
17 Could God govern if he hated justice?
Are you going to condemn the almighty judge?
18 For he says to kings, ‘You are wicked,’
and to nobles, ‘You are unjust.’
19 He doesn’t care how great a person may be,
and he pays no more attention to the rich than to the poor.
He made them all.
20 In a moment they die.
In the middle of the night they pass away;
the mighty are removed without human hand.
21 “For God watches how people live;
he sees everything they do.
22 No darkness is thick enough
to hide the wicked from his eyes.
23 We don’t set the time
when we will come before God in judgment.
24 He brings the mighty to ruin without asking anyone,
and he sets up others in their place.
25 He knows what they do,
and in the night he overturns and destroys them.
26 He strikes them down because they are wicked,
doing it openly for all to see.
27 For they turned away from following him.
They have no respect for any of his ways.
28 They cause the poor to cry out, catching God’s attention.
He hears the cries of the needy.
29 But if he chooses to remain quiet,
who can criticize him?
When he hides his face, no one can find him,
whether an individual or a nation.
30 He prevents the godless from ruling
so they cannot be a snare to the people.
31 “Why don’t people say to God, ‘I have sinned,
but I will sin no more’?
32 Or ‘I don’t know what evil I have done—tell me.
If I have done wrong, I will stop at once’?
33 “Must God tailor his justice to your demands?
But you have rejected him!
The choice is yours, not mine.
Go ahead, share your wisdom with us.
34 After all, bright people will tell me,
and wise people will hear me say,
35 ‘Job speaks out of ignorance;
his words lack insight.’
36 Job, you deserve the maximum penalty
for the wicked way you have talked.
37 For you have added rebellion to your sin;
you show no respect,
and you speak many angry words against God.”
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
