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.’”
Iyov 34
Orthodox Jewish Bible
34 Furthermore Elihu answered and said,
2 Hear my words, O ye chachamim; and give ear unto me, ye that have da’as.
3 For the ozen trieth words, as the mouth tasteth food.
4 Let us choose for ourselves what is mishpat (right); let us know among ourselves what is tov.
5 For Iyov hath said, I am innocent; and El hath taken away my mishpat (right).
6 I declare the mishpat (case) against me a lie; though without peysha, my arrow wound is incurable.
7 What gever is like Iyov, who drinketh up the scorn [of his friends] like mayim?
8 Who goeth in chaverah with the po’alei aven (workers of iniquity, evildoers), and walketh with anshei resha.
9 For he hath said, It profiteth a gever nothing that he should please Elohim.
10 Therefore pay heed unto me ye anashei levav (men of understanding); far be it from El, that He should do evil, and from Shaddai, that He should do wrong.
11 For the po’al adam (work of a man) shall He repay unto him, and make every man to find according to the man’s ways.
12 Yea, surely El will not do wickedly, neither will Shaddai pervert mishpat (justice).
13 Who hath given Him right to rule the earth? Or who hath appointed Him over the tevel?
14 If He should so determine, if He gather unto Himself His Ruach and His Neshamah,
15 All basar would perish together, and adam would return unto aphar.
16 If now thou hast binah, hear this: pay heed to the kol (voice) of my words.
17 Shall even one that hateth mishpat (right) govern? And wilt thou condemn Him that is Tzaddik and Kabir (the Mighty One)?
18 Is it fit to say to a melech, Thou art beli’ya’al? And to nobles, Ye are rasha.
19 Who shows no partiality to sarim (princes), nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? For they all are the ma’aseh (work) of His hands.
20 In a moment shall they die, and at chatzot lailah the people shall be shaken, and pass away, and the mighty shall be taken away without human hand.
21 For His eyes are upon the darkhei ish and He seeth all his goings.
22 There is no choshech, nor tzalmavet, where the po’alei aven (evildoers) may hide themselves.
23 For He does not need to consider an ish further for anyone to go before El in mispat (judgment).
24 He shall break in pieces kabirim (mighty men) without investigation, and sets acherim (others) in their place.
25 Therefore He knoweth their works, and He overthroweth them in the lailah, so that they are crushed.
26 He striketh them as resha’im in the open sight of others;
27 Because they turned back from following Him, and would not regard any of His drakhim;
28 So that they caused the cry of the poor to come unto Him, and He heareth the cry of the aniyim.
29 When He giveth quietness, who then can condemn? When He hideth His panim, who then can behold Him? Whether it be a nation, or an individual only?
30 That the chanef (hypocrite) reign not, nor those who ensnare the people.
31 For has anyone said unto El, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more;
32 Teach Thou me what I see not; im (if) I have done iniquity, I will do no more?
33 Will He then recompense to suit you, just because you disavow it? Thou must choose, not I; therefore speak that of which thou hast da’as.
34 Let anshei levav (men of understanding) say to me, and let a gever chacham who pays heed unto me say,
35 Iyov hath spoken without da’as, and his words were without seichel.
36 Iyov ought to be tried unto the limit, because his answers are those of anshei aven.
37 For he addeth peysha unto his chattat, he clappeth his hands [shaking fist at G-d] among us, and multiplieth his words against El.
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