Job 34
The Voice
34 Job remained silent, so Elihu continued.
2 Elihu: Hear my words, you men of wisdom;
listen to me, learned ones:
3 Our ears are capable of testing wisdom of words
the way the roofs of our mouths are capable of tasting food.[a]
4 Let us form a council here then, and decide among us what is right;
let us come together to know what is good in all of this.
5 After all, Job has told us, “I am innocent,
but God has denied my right to a fair hearing.
6 Though I am right, should I lie and claim to be wrong? No.
Let me put it to you simply:
I am gravely wounded as by an arrow,
but I am innocent.”
7 What other man is comparable to Job?
He drinks disdain like water.
8 He is not like the one who runs with the workers of wickedness
and associates himself with evil people.
9 In fact he even suggests, “A person receives no benefit
from pleasing God.”
In his first speech to Job, Elihu has been a cowboy, brazenly calling Job out for his blasphemous words about God. He has not exactly condemned Job as a wicked man; he has condemned Job for his reaction to his suffering and to God. This is unprecedented behavior, since a younger man would never contradict an elder, especially in the presence of other elders. Possibly realizing how disrespectfully he has been acting, and certainly noticing that Job isn’t responding well to his arguments, Elihu begins this second speech with a new approach. He tries to gain the support of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. Maybe if other elders are on his side, Elihu can make Job understand that it is wrong to question God, the very Creator of justice.
10 Elihu: So, you men whose hearts have embraced wisdom, listen to me:
far be it from God to commit evil acts;
and from the Highest One[b] to engage in wrongdoing!
11 For He is like an employer
who pays workers according to what they have done;
He makes sure the rewards they receive match their conduct.
12 Oh, unimaginable thought—that God would cause evil!
The Highest One does not pervert justice!
13 Who designated Him as earth’s overseer?
Who placed Him in charge of the entire world?
14 If He made it His aim to do so,
if He recalled to Himself His spirit and His breath,
15 All living creatures would expire as one
and humankind would return to the dust from which He formed them.
16 If you are one of understanding, hear this!
Listen to what I am saying!
17 Can one who despises justice also govern?
And are you willing to render condemnation on the Righteous and Mighty One?
18 Is He not the One who says to the king, “You are worthless,”
and to the exalted nobility, “You are depraved.”
19 Is He not the One who refuses favoritism to royalty
and who will not put rich above poor?
After all, they are all the creations of His very own hands.
20 All of a sudden, in the middle of the night, people perish;
they are shaken, and then they pass away;
the strong and mighty, apart from any human hand, are taken.
21 For God’s eyes are on the paths people choose;
He surveys each of their steps.
22 There is no darkness, no gloomy shadow
in which wrongdoers may hide themselves from Him.
23 God does not need to scrutinize people further
or bring them before Him for judgment.
24 Without need of a lengthy investigation,
He breaks even the mighty into pieces,
and installs others to replace them.
25 And this is because He is already acquainted with their actions.
When the seemingly sudden midnight hour rolls over, they are crushed beneath it.
26 He strikes down people as if they were wicked—
front and center—a display for all to see
27 Simply because they turned from following Him,
because they no longer considered His ways.
28 As a result of their injustice,
the poor cried out to Him
And as you ought to know well,
He always hears the cries of the needy, of the oppressed peoples.
29 If God remains silent, who is fit to raise his voice against Him?
If He chooses to hide His face, who is able to see Him?
This goes for a nation or an individual;
all are the same.
30 A person estranged from God must be prevented from ruling over any nation
and from laying snares for the downfall of a people.
31 Has anyone then said to God,
“I have carried punishment,
but I will not offend again.
32 Teach me and fill in my blind spots,
and if I have done wrong, I will stop and do what is right.”
33 Is God obliged to reward you on your terms
for your personal revolt against Him?
You must decide that, not I.
Tell me, if you know what you believe,
34 People who comprehend such things,
wise folk who hear me say,
35 “Job speaks without knowledge;
his harangues are devoid of insight.”
36 May God try Job to the bitter end,
for he responds as the wicked do
37 And he keeps adding to his sins;
he claps his hands in rebellion in our very midst,
and he multiplies his offensive words against God.
Job 34
Holman Christian Standard Bible
34 Then Elihu continued,[a] saying:
2 Hear my words, you wise men,
and listen to me, you knowledgeable ones.
3 Doesn’t the ear test words
as the palate tastes food?
4 Let us judge for ourselves what is right;
let us decide together what is good.
5 For Job has declared, “I am righteous,
yet God has deprived me of justice.(A)
6 Would I lie about my case?(B)
My wound[b] is incurable,
though I am without transgression.”
7 What man is like Job?
He drinks derision(C) like water.
8 He keeps company with evildoers
and walks with wicked men.
9 For he has said, “A man gains nothing
when he becomes God’s friend.”(D)
10 Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding.
It is impossible for God to do wrong,
and for the Almighty to act unjustly.(E)
11 For He repays(F) a person according to his deeds,
and He brings his ways on him.
12 Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly
and the Almighty does not pervert justice.(G)
13 Who gave Him authority over the earth?
Who put Him in charge of the entire world?(H)
14 If He put His mind to it
and withdrew the spirit(I) and breath He gave,
15 every living thing would perish together
and mankind would return to the dust.(J)
16 If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I have to say.
17 Could one who hates justice govern the world?
Will you condemn the mighty Righteous One,(K)
18 who says to a king, “Worthless man!”
and to nobles, “Wicked men!”?(L)
19 God is not partial(M) to princes
and does not favor the rich over the poor,
for they are all the work of His hands.
20 They die suddenly in the middle of the night;
people shudder, then pass away.
Even the mighty are removed without effort.
21 For His eyes watch over a man’s ways,
and He observes all his steps.(N)
22 There is no darkness, no deep darkness,
where evildoers can hide themselves.(O)
23 God does not need to examine a person further,
that one should[c] approach Him in court.
24 He shatters the mighty without an investigation
and sets others in their place.(P)
25 Therefore, He recognizes their deeds(Q)
and overthrows them by night, and they are crushed.
26 In full view of the public,[d]
He strikes them for their wickedness,
27 because they turned aside from following Him
and did not understand any of His ways
28 but caused the poor to cry out to Him,
and He heard the outcry of the afflicted.(R)
29 But when God is silent, who can declare Him guilty?
When He hides His face, who can see Him?
Yet He watches over both individuals and nations,
30 so that godless men should not rule
or ensnare the people.
31 Suppose someone says to God,
“I have endured my punishment;
I will no longer act wickedly.
32 Teach me what I cannot see;
if I have done wrong, I won’t do it again.”
33 Should God repay you on your terms
when you have rejected His?
You must choose, not I!
So declare what you know.
34 Reasonable men will say to me,
along with the wise men who hear me,
35 “Job speaks without knowledge;(S)
his words are without insight.”
36 If only Job were tested to the limit,
because his answers are like those of wicked men.
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin;
he scornfully claps(T) in our presence,
while multiplying(U) his words against God.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
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