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35 ¶ Elihu proceeded in his reasoning and said,

Dost thou think this to be right, when thou didst say, I am more righteous than God?

For thou didst say, What advantage will it be unto thee? And, What profit shall I have, if I am cleansed from my sin?

I will answer thee and thy companions with thee.

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

If thou dost sin, what hast thou done against him? Or if thy rebellion is multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

If thou art righteous, what shalt thou give him? Or what shall he receive of thine hand?

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

¶ By reason of the great violence they shall call out; they cry out because of the strength of the many.

10 But no one shall say, Where is God my maker, who gives songs in the night;

11 who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

12 There they shall cry, but he shall give no answer because of the pride of those that are evil.

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

14 ¶ For much that thou dost say, he will not look upon it, submit to judgment before him, and trust thou in him.

15 But now, because he has not visited in wrath; nor is it known in great extremity;

16 therefore, Job opened his mouth in vain and multiplied words without knowledge.

35 Elihu went on to say:

“Are you so convinced you are right,
that you say, ‘I am more just than God’?
For you ask what advantage it is to you,
‘How do I gain from not sinning?’

“Here is my answer to you,
to you and to your friends:
Look at the heavens and see;
observe the skies, high above you.
If you sin, how do you hurt him?
If your crimes are many, how do you affect him?
If you are righteous, what do you give him?
What benefit does he get from you?
Your wickedness can affect only others like you,
and your righteousness only other human beings.
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.”

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.