Job 35
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Elihu Condemns Self-Righteousness
35 Elihu continued and said:
2 “Do you think this to be just?
You say, ‘I am in the right before God.’(A)
3 If you ask, ‘What advantage have I?
How am I better off than if I had sinned?’(B)
4 I will answer you
and your friends with you.
5 Look at the heavens and see;
observe the clouds, which are higher than you.(C)
6 If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him?
And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?(D)
7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him,
or what does he receive from your hand?(E)
8 Your wickedness affects others like you,
and your righteousness, other human beings.
9 “Because of the multitude of oppressions people cry out;
they call for help because of the arm of the mighty.(F)
10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
who gives strength in the night,(G)
11 who teaches us more than the animals of the earth
and makes us wiser than the birds of the air?’(H)
12 There they cry out, but he does not answer,
because of the pride of evildoers.(I)
13 Surely God does not hear an empty cry,
nor does the Almighty[a] regard it.(J)
14 How much less when you say that you do not see him,
that the case is before him and you are waiting for him!(K)
15 And now, because his anger does not punish
and he does not greatly heed transgression,[b](L)
16 Job opens his mouth in empty talk;
he multiplies words without knowledge.”(M)
Job 35
Lexham English Bible
Elihu Condemns Job
35 Moreover,[a] Elihu spoke up[b] and said,
2 “Do you think this is justice when you say,
‘I am right[c] before God’?
3 If you ask what it profits you:
‘How do I benefit by refraining from my sin?’[d]
4 I myself[e] will give answer to you[f]
and to your friends with you.
5 “Look at the heavens, and see;
and observe the clouds that are higher than you.
6 If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him?
And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him,
or what does he receive from your hand?
8 Your wickedness affects a person like yourself,
and your righteousness affects humans.
9 “Because of the multitude of oppressions, they cry out;
they cry for help because of the arm of the mighty.
10 But[g] no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
who gives songs in the night,
11 who teaches us more than the animals of the earth
and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’
12 There they cry out, but[h] he does not answer
because of the pride of evildoers.[i]
13 “Surely God does not hear an empty plea,
and Shaddai does not regard it.
14 How much less[j] when you say that you do not see him,
that the case is before him,[k] and you are waiting for him!
15 But[l] now, because his anger does not punish,
and he does not acknowledge the transgression at all,
16 therefore[m] Job opens his mouth in empty talk—
without knowledge he multiplies words.”
Footnotes
- Job 35:1 Hebrew “And”
- Job 35:1 Literally “answered”; see NET
- Job 35:2 Literally “My righteousness”
- Job 35:3 Literally “from my sin”
- Job 35:4 Emphatic personal pronoun
- Job 35:4 Literally “will return you words”
- Job 35:10 Hebrew “And”
- Job 35:12 Hebrew “and”
- Job 35:12 Literally “from the face of the pride of evildoers”
- Job 35:14 Literally “Also for”
- Job 35:14 Literally “to the face of him”
- Job 35:15 Hebrew “And”
- Job 35:16 Hebrew “and,” or “so”
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