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Job 35
The Message
Job 35
The Message
Elihu’s Third Speech
When God Makes Creation a Classroom
35 1-3 Elihu lit into Job again:
“Does this kind of thing make any sense?
First you say, ‘I’m perfectly innocent before God.’
And then you say, ‘It doesn’t make a bit of difference
whether I’ve sinned or not.’
4-8 “Well, I’m going to show you
that you don’t know what you’re talking about,
neither you nor your friends.
Look up at the sky. Take a long hard look.
See those clouds towering above you?
If you sin, what difference could that make to God?
No matter how much you sin, will it matter to him?
Even if you’re good, what would God get out of that?
Do you think he’s dependent on your accomplishments?
The only ones who care whether you’re good or bad
are your family and friends and neighbors.
God’s not dependent on your behavior.
9-15 “When times get bad, people cry out for help.
They cry for relief from being kicked around,
But never give God a thought when things go well,
when God puts spontaneous songs in their hearts,
When God sets out the entire creation as a science classroom,
using birds and beasts to teach wisdom.
People are arrogantly indifferent to God—
until, of course, they’re in trouble,
and then God is indifferent to them.
There’s nothing behind such prayers except panic;
the Almighty pays them no mind.
So why would he notice you
just because you say you’re tired of waiting to be heard,
Or waiting for him to get good and angry
and do something about the world’s problems?
16 “Job, you talk sheer nonsense—
nonstop nonsense!”
Job 35
Complete Jewish Bible
Job 35
Complete Jewish Bible
35 Elihu went on to say:
2 “Are you so convinced you are right,
that you say, ‘I am more just than God’?
3 For you ask what advantage it is to you,
‘How do I gain from not sinning?’
4 “Here is my answer to you,
to you and to your friends:
5 Look at the heavens and see;
observe the skies, high above you.
6 If you sin, how do you hurt him?
If your crimes are many, how do you affect him?
7 If you are righteous, what do you give him?
What benefit does he get from you?
8 Your wickedness can affect only others like you,
and your righteousness only other human beings.
9 People cry out from under many oppressions;
they cry for help from under the fist of the mighty.
10 But no one asks, ‘Where is God my maker,
who causes glad songs to ring out at night,
11 who teaches us more than he teaches wild animals
and makes us wiser than the birds in the air?’
12 They may cry out, but no one answers,
because of evil men’s pride.
13 For God will not listen to empty cries;
Shaddai pays no attention to them.
14 All the more when you say that you don’t see him!
Just be patient; he’s considering the matter.
15 But now, just because he doesn’t get angry and punish,
does it mean he doesn’t know what arrogance is?
16 So Iyov is being futile when he opens his mouth;
he is piling up words without knowledge.”
Job 35
Common English Bible
Job 35
Common English Bible
Sin’s impact
35 Elihu continued:
2 Do you think it right?
You say, “I’m more just than God.”
3 Yet you ask, “What does it benefit you?
What have I gained by avoiding sin?”
4 I’ll answer you,
and your friends along with you.
5 Look at the heavens and see;
scan the clouds high over you.
6 If you’ve sinned, how have you affected God?
Your offenses have multiplied;
what have you done to him?
7 If you are righteous,
what do you give to him?
Or what does he receive from your hand?
8 Your evil affects others like you,
and your righteousness affects fellow human beings.
9 People cry out because of heavy oppression;
shout under the power of the mighty.
10 But no one says, “Where is God my maker;
who gives songs in the night;
11 who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth,
makes us wiser than the birds in the sky?”
12 Then they cry out; but he doesn’t answer,
because of the pride of the wicked.
13 God certainly doesn’t respond to a deceitful cry;
the Almighty doesn’t pay attention to it.
14 Although you say that you don’t see him,
the case is before him;
so wait anxiously for him.
15 Even though his anger is now held back,
a person doesn’t know it’s only delayed.[a]
16 So Job mouths emptiness;
he piles up ignorant words.
Footnotes
- Job 35:15 Heb uncertain
Job 35
New International Version
Job 35
New International Version
35 Then Elihu said:
2 “Do you think this is just?
You say, ‘I am in the right,(A) not God.’(B)
3 Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me,[a]
and what do I gain by not sinning?’(C)
4 “I would like to reply to you
and to your friends with you.
5 Look up at the heavens(D) and see;
gaze at the clouds so high above you.(E)
6 If you sin, how does that affect him?
If your sins are many, what does that do to him?(F)
7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him,(G)
or what does he receive(H) from your hand?(I)
8 Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself,(J)
and your righteousness only other people.(K)
9 “People cry out(L) under a load of oppression;(M)
they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful.(N)
10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,(O)
who gives songs(P) in the night,(Q)
11 who teaches(R) us(S) more than he teaches[b] the beasts of the earth
and makes us wiser than[c] the birds in the sky?’
12 He does not answer(T) when people cry out
because of the arrogance(U) of the wicked.(V)
13 Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea;
the Almighty pays no attention to it.(W)
14 How much less, then, will he listen
when you say that you do not see him,(X)
that your case(Y) is before him
and you must wait for him,(Z)
15 and further, that his anger never punishes(AA)
and he does not take the least notice of wickedness.[d](AB)
16 So Job opens his mouth with empty talk;(AC)
without knowledge he multiplies words.”(AD)
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.