Job 34

Elihu Vindicates God’s Justice

1Then Elihu continued and said,2“Hear my words, you wise men, And listen to me, you who know.3For 1the ear tests words As the palate tastes food.4Let us choose for ourselves what is right; Let us know among ourselves what is good.5For Job has said, ‘2I am righteous, But 3God has taken away my right;64Should I lie concerning my right? My 56wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’7What man is like Job, Who 7drinks up derision like water,8Who goes 8in company with the workers of iniquity, And walks with wicked men?9For he has said, ‘9It profits a man nothing When he 10is pleased with God.’

10“Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to 11do wickedness, And from the Almighty to do wrong.11For He pays a man according to 12his work, And makes 13him find it according to his way.12Surely, 14God will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice.13Who 15gave Him authority over the earth? And who 16has laid on Him the whole world?14If He should 17determine to do so, If He should 18gather to Himself His spirit and His breath,15All 19flesh would perish together, And man would 20return to dust.

16“But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.17Shall 21one who hates justice rule? And 22will you condemn the righteous mighty One,18Who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’ To nobles, ‘Wicked ones’;19Who shows no 23partiality to princes Nor regards the rich above the poor, For they all are the 24work of His hands?20In a moment they die, and 25at midnight People are shaken and pass away, And 26the mighty are taken away without a hand.

21“For 27His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.22There is 28no darkness or deep shadow Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.23For He does not 29need to consider a man further, That he should go before God in judgment.24He breaks in pieces 30mighty men without inquiry, And sets others in their place.25Therefore He 31knows their works, And 32He overthrows them in the night, And they are crushed.26He 33strikes them like the wicked 34In a public place,27Because they 35turned aside from following Him, And 36had no regard for any of His ways;28So that they caused 37the cry of the poor to come to Him, And that He might 38hear the cry of the afflicted--29When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn? And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him, That is, in regard to both nation and man?--30So that 39godless men would not rule Nor be snares of the people.

31“For has anyone said to God, ‘I have borne chastisement; I will not offend anymore;32Teach me what I do not see; If I have 40done iniquity, I will not do it again’?33Shall He 41recompense on your terms, because you have rejected it? For you must choose, and not I; Therefore declare what you know.34Men of understanding will say to me, And a wise man who hears me,35‘Job 42speaks without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom.36Job ought to be tried 43to the limit, Because he answers 44like wicked men.37For he adds 45rebellion to his sin; He 46claps his hands among us, And multiplies his words against God.’”