Job 34

Tree of Life Version

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.”