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Elihu Condemns Self-Righteousness

35 Elihu continued and said:

‘Do you think this to be just?
    You say, “I am in the right before God.”
If you ask, “What advantage have I?
    How am I better off than if I had sinned?”
I will answer you
    and your friends with you.
Look at the heavens and see;
    observe the clouds, which are higher than you.
If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him?
    And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
If you are righteous, what do you give to him;
    or what does he receive from your hand?
Your wickedness affects others like you,
    and your righteousness, other human beings.

‘Because of the multitude of oppressions people cry out;
    they call for help because of the arm of the mighty.
10 But no one says, “Where is God my Maker,
    who gives strength in the night,
11 who teaches us more than the animals of the earth,
    and makes us wiser than the birds of the air?”
12 There they cry out, but he does not answer,
    because of the pride of evildoers.
13 Surely God does not hear an empty cry,
    nor does the Almighty[a] regard it.
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!
15 And now, because his anger does not punish,
    and he does not greatly heed transgression,[b]
16 Job opens his mouth in empty talk,
    he multiplies words without knowledge.’

Footnotes

  1. Job 35:13 Traditional rendering of Heb Shaddai
  2. Job 35:15 Theodotion Symmachus Compare Vg: Meaning of Heb uncertain

35 以利戶繼續說:
「你以為這話有理,
說:『我在 神面前是公義的。』
你說:『這對你有甚麼益處?
我不犯罪有甚麼好處呢?』
至於我,我要用言語回答你
和跟你一起的朋友。
你要向天觀看,
瞻望那高於你的穹蒼。
你若犯罪,能使 神受何害呢?
你的過犯加增,能使 神受何損呢?
你若是公義,能加增他甚麼呢?
他從你手裏還接受甚麼呢?
你的罪惡只影響像你這類的人;
你的公義也只影響世人。

「人因多受欺壓就哀求,
因強權者的膀臂而求救。
10 但無人說:『造我的 神在哪裏?
他使人夜間歌唱,
11 教導我們多過地上的走獸,
使我們比空中的飛鳥更聰明。』
12 因為惡人驕傲,
他們在那裏呼求,他卻不回答。
13 虛妄的呼求, 神必不垂聽;
全能者必不留意。
14 何況你說,你不得見他。
案件就在他面前,你等候他吧。
15 但如今因他未曾發怒降罰,
也一點都不理會狂傲,
16 所以約伯開口說虛妄的話,
多多發表無知識的言語。」

35 Then Elihu said:

“Do you think this is just?
    You say, ‘I am in the right,(A) not God.’(B)
Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me,[a]
    and what do I gain by not sinning?’(C)

“I would like to reply to you
    and to your friends with you.
Look up at the heavens(D) and see;
    gaze at the clouds so high above you.(E)
If you sin, how does that affect him?
    If your sins are many, what does that do to him?(F)
If you are righteous, what do you give to him,(G)
    or what does he receive(H) from your hand?(I)
Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself,(J)
    and your righteousness only other people.(K)

“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)

Footnotes

  1. Job 35:3 Or you
  2. Job 35:11 Or night, / 11 who teaches us by
  3. Job 35:11 Or us wise by
  4. Job 35:15 Symmachus, Theodotion and Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.

35 Elihu spake moreover, and said,

Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God's?

For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.

10 But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;

11 Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

12 There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

13 Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

14 Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.

15 But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity:

16 Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.