34 Elihu answered (continued his discourse) and said,

² Hear my words, you wise men, and give ear to me, you who have [so much] knowledge.

³ For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food.

⁴ Let us choose for ourselves that which is right; let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵ For Job has said, I am [innocent and uncompromisingly] righteous, but God has taken away my right;^(A)

⁶ Would I lie against my right? Yet, notwithstanding my right, I am counted a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.

⁷ What man is like Job, who drinks up scoffing and scorning like water,

⁸ Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity and walks with wicked men?

⁹ For he has said, It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God and consent to Him.

¹⁰ Therefore hear me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God that He should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that He should commit iniquity.

¹¹ For according to the deeds of a man God will [exactly] proportion his pay, and He will cause every man to find [recompense] according to his ways.

¹² Truly God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert justice.

¹³ Who put [God] in charge over the earth? Or who laid on Him the whole world?

¹⁴ If [God] should set His heart upon him [man] and withdraw His [life-giving] spirit and His breath [from man] to Himself,

¹⁵ All flesh would perish together, and man would turn again to dust.^(B)

¹⁶ If now you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words.

¹⁷ Is it possible that an enemy of right should govern? And will you condemn Him Who is just and mighty?

¹⁸ [God] Who says to a king, You are worthless and vile, or to princes and nobles, You are ungodly and evil?

¹⁹ [God] is not partial to princes, nor does He regard the rich more than the poor, for they all are the work of His hands.

²⁰ In a moment they die; even at midnight the people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away by no [human] hand.

²¹ For [God’s] eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps.^(C)

²² There is no darkness nor thick gloom where the evildoers may hide themselves.

²³ [God] sets before man no appointed time, that he should appear before [Him] in judgment.

²⁴ He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry [before a jury] and in ways past finding out and sets others in their stead.^(D)

²⁵ Therefore He takes knowledge of their works, and He overturns them in the night, so that they are crushed and destroyed.

²⁶ God strikes them down as wicked men in the open sight of beholders,

²⁷ Because they turned aside from Him and would not consider or show regard for any of His ways,^(E)

²⁸ So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him, and He heard the cry of the afflicted.^(F)

²⁹ When He gives quietness (peace and security from oppression), who then can condemn? When He hides His face [withdrawing His favor and help], who then can behold Him [and make Him gracious], whether it be a nation or a man by himself?—

³⁰ That the godless man may not reign, that there be no one to ensnare the people.

³¹ For has anyone said to God, I have borne my chastisement; I will not offend any more;

³² Teach me what I do not see [in regard to how I have sinned]; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more?

³³ Should [God’s] recompense [for your sins] be as you will it, when you refuse to accept it? For you must do the choosing, and not I; therefore say what is your truthful conclusion.

³⁴ Men of understanding will tell me, indeed, every wise man who hears me [will agree],

³⁵ That Job speaks without knowledge, and his words are without wisdom and insight.

³⁶ [Would that Job’s afflictions be continued and] he be tried to the end because of his answering like wicked men!

³⁷ For he adds rebellion [in his unsubmissive, defiant attitude toward God] to his unacknowledged sin; he claps his hands [in open mockery and contempt of God] among us, and he multiplies his words of accusation against God.

35 Elihu spoke further [to Job] and said,

² Do you think this is your right, or are you saying, My righteousness is more than God’s,

³ That you ask, What advantage have you? How am I profited more than if I had sinned?

⁴ I will answer you and your companions with you.

⁵ Look to the heavens and see; and behold the skies which are higher than you.

⁶ If you have sinned, how does that affect God? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what have you done to Him?

⁷ If you are righteous, what do you [by that] give God? Or what does He receive from your hand?

⁸ Your wickedness touches and affects a man such as you are, and your righteousness is for yourself, one of the human race [but it cannot touch God, Who is above such influence].

⁹ Because of the multitudes of oppressions the people cry out; they cry for help because of the violence of the mighty.

¹⁰ But no one says, Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs of rejoicing in the night,^(G)

¹¹ Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?

¹² [The people] cry out because of the pride of evil men, but He does not answer.

¹³ Surely God will refuse to answer [the cry which is] vanity (vain and empty—instead of abiding trust); neither will the Almighty regard it—

¹⁴ How much less when [missing His righteous judgment on earth] you say that you do not see Him, that your cause is before Him, and you are waiting for Him!

¹⁵ But now because God has not [speedily] punished in His anger and seems to be unaware of the wrong and oppression [of which a person is guilty],

¹⁶ Job uselessly opens his mouth and multiplies words without knowledge [drawing the worthless conclusion that the righteous have no more advantage than the wicked].

¹⁷ But in what I instruct [you] next I do not commend [you], because when you meet together, it is not for the better but for the worse.

¹⁸ For in the first place, when you assemble as a congregation, I hear that there are cliques (divisions and factions) among you; and I in part believe it,

¹⁹ For doubtless there have to be factions or parties among you in order that they who are genuine and of approved fitness may become evident and plainly recognized among you.

²⁰ So when you gather for your meetings, it is not the supper instituted by the Lord that you eat,

²¹ For in eating each one [hurries] to get his own supper first [not waiting for the poor], and one goes hungry while another gets drunk.

²² What! Do you have no houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and mean to show contempt for it, while you humiliate those who are poor (have no homes and have brought no food)? What shall I say to you? Shall I commend you in this? No, [most certainly] I will not!

²³ For I received from the Lord Himself that which I passed on to you [it was given to me personally], that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was treacherously delivered up and while His betrayal was in progress took bread,

²⁴ And when He had given thanks, He broke [it] and said, Take, eat. This is My body, which is broken for you. Do this to call Me [affectionately] to remembrance.

²⁵ Similarly when supper was ended, He took the cup also, saying, This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink [it], to call Me [affectionately] to remembrance.

²⁶ For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are representing and signifying and proclaiming the fact of the Lord’s death until He comes [again].

²⁷ So then whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in a way that is unworthy [of Him] will be guilty of [profaning and sinning against] the body and blood of the Lord.

²⁸ Let a man [thoroughly] examine himself, and [only when he has done] so should he eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

²⁹ For anyone who eats and drinks without discriminating and recognizing with due appreciation that [it is Christ’s] body, eats and drinks a sentence (a verdict of judgment) upon himself.

³⁰ That [careless and unworthy participation] is the reason many of you are weak and sickly, and quite enough of you have fallen into the sleep of death.

³¹ For if we searchingly examined ourselves [detecting our shortcomings and recognizing our own condition], we should not be judged and penalty decreed [by the divine judgment].

³² But when we [fall short and] are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined and chastened, so that we may not [finally] be condemned [to eternal punishment along] with the world.

³³ So then, my brothers, when you gather together to eat [the Lord’s Supper], wait for one another.

³⁴ If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together to bring judgment [on yourselves]. About the other matters, I will give you directions [personally] when I come.

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