Job 35
Lexham English Bible
Elihu Condemns Job
35 Moreover,[a] Elihu spoke up[b] and said,
2 “Do you think this is justice when you say,
‘I am right[c] before God’?
3 If you ask what it profits you:
‘How do I benefit by refraining from my sin?’[d]
4 I myself[e] will give answer to you[f]
and to your friends with you.
5 “Look at the heavens, and see;
and observe the clouds that are higher than you.
6 If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him?
And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him,
or what does he receive from your hand?
8 Your wickedness affects a person like yourself,
and your righteousness affects humans.
9 “Because of the multitude of oppressions, they cry out;
they cry for help because of the arm of the mighty.
10 But[g] no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
who gives songs in the night,
11 who teaches us more than the animals of the earth
and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’
12 There they cry out, but[h] he does not answer
because of the pride of evildoers.[i]
13 “Surely God does not hear an empty plea,
and Shaddai does not regard it.
14 How much less[j] when you say that you do not see him,
that the case is before him,[k] and you are waiting for him!
15 But[l] now, because his anger does not punish,
and he does not acknowledge the transgression at all,
16 therefore[m] Job opens his mouth in empty talk—
without knowledge he multiplies words.”
Footnotes
- Job 35:1 Hebrew “And”
- Job 35:1 Literally “answered”; see NET
- Job 35:2 Literally “My righteousness”
- Job 35:3 Literally “from my sin”
- Job 35:4 Emphatic personal pronoun
- Job 35:4 Literally “will return you words”
- Job 35:10 Hebrew “And”
- Job 35:12 Hebrew “and”
- Job 35:12 Literally “from the face of the pride of evildoers”
- Job 35:14 Literally “Also for”
- Job 35:14 Literally “to the face of him”
- Job 35:15 Hebrew “And”
- Job 35:16 Hebrew “and,” or “so”
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.”
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Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.