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10 “Therefore, listen to me, people who have sense:[a]
far be it from God that he should commit wickedness[b]
and that Shaddai should do wrong.[c]
11 Indeed, he will repay according to a human being’s deeds,
and according to a man’s way he will let it happen to him.
12 What’s more, God truly does not act wickedly,
and Shaddai does not pervert justice.
13 Who gave him charge over the earth?
Or[d] who laid on him the whole world?
14 If he should set his heart to it,
and he should gather his spirit and his breath to himself,
15 all flesh would perish together,
and humankind would return to dust.
16 “But[e] if you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I say.[f]
17 Shall he who hates justice really govern?
Or will you[g] declare the Righteous One, the Mighty, guilty?—
18 the one who says to a king,
‘You worthless man,’ to noblemen, ‘You wicked man,’
19 who shows no partiality to officials[h]
and who does not take note of the noble more than of the insignificant,[i]
for all of them are the work of his hands?
20 In a moment they die,
and in the middle of the night the people are shaken, and they pass away,
and they take away the mighty effortlessly.[j]

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Footnotes

  1. Job 34:10 Literally “men of heart”
  2. Job 34:10 Literally “from wickedness”
  3. Job 34:10 Literally “from wrong”
  4. Job 34:13 Hebrew “And”
  5. Job 34:16 Hebrew “And”
  6. Job 34:16 Literally “the voice/sound of my words”
  7. Job 34:17 Singular
  8. Job 34:19 Literally “he does not lift the face of officials”
  9. Job 34:19 Literally “he does not regard the eminent to the face of the poor/insignificant”
  10. Job 34:20 Literally “not by a hand”

10 “Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding:
    far be it from God, that he should do wickedness,
    from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
11 For the work of a man he will render to him,
    and cause every man to find according to his ways.
12 Yes surely, God will not do wickedly,
    neither will the Almighty pervert justice.
13 Who put him in charge of the earth?
    Or who has appointed him over the whole world?
14 If he set his heart on himself,
    if he gathered to himself his spirit and his breath,
15 all flesh would perish together,
    and man would turn again to dust.

16 “If now you have understanding, hear this.
    Listen to the voice of my words.
17 Should even one who hates justice govern?
    Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty?—
18 Who says to a king, ‘Vile!’
    or to nobles, ‘Wicked!’?
19 He doesn’t respect the persons of princes,
    nor respect 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.
    The mighty are taken away without a hand.

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