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 understand.3For 1the ear tests words As the palate tastes food.4Let us choose for ourselves what is right; Let us understand among ourselves what is good.5For Job has said, ‘2I am righteous, But 3God has taken away my right;64Should I lie about my right? My 56wound is incurable, though I am without wrongdoing.’7What man is like Job, Who 7drinks up derision like water,8Who goes 8in company with the workers of injustice, And walks with wicked people?9For he has said, ‘9It is of no use to a man When he becomes friends with God.’

10“Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to 10do evil, And from the Almighty to do wrong.11For He repays a person for 11his work, And lets things happen in correspondence to a man’s 12behavior.1213God certainly will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice.13Who 14gave Him authority over the earth? And who 15has placed the whole world on Him?14If He were to 16determine to do so, If He were to 17gather His 18spirit and His breath to Himself,151920Humanity would perish together, And mankind would 21return to dust.

16“But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.17Shall 22one who hates justice rule? And 23will you condemn the righteous mighty One,18Who says to a king, ‘You worthless one,’ To nobles, ‘You wicked one’;19Who shows no 24partiality to the prominent, Nor regards the rich as above the poor, Since they are all the 25work of His hands?20In a moment they die, and 26at midnight People are shaken and pass away, And 27the powerful are taken away without a hand.

21“For 28His eyes are upon the ways of a person, And He sees all his steps.22There is 29no darkness or deep shadow Where the workers of injustice can hide themselves.23For He does not 30need to consider a person further, That he should go before God in judgment.24He breaks in pieces the 31mighty without investigation, And sets others in their place.25Therefore He 32knows their deeds, And 33He overthrows them in the night, And they are crushed.26He 34strikes them like the wicked 35In a public place,27Because they 36turned aside from following Him, And 37had no regard for any of His ways,28So that they caused 38the cry of the poor to come to Him, And that He would 39hear the cry of the afflicted--29When He keeps quiet, who can condemn? And when He hides His face, who then can look at Him, That is, regarding both nation and a person?--30So that 40godless people would not rule, Nor be snares for the people.

31“For has anyone said to God, ‘I have endured punishment; I will not offend anymore;32Teach me what I do not see; If I have 41done wrong, I will not do it again’?33Shall God 42repay on your terms, because you have rejected His? 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 43speaks without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom.36Oh that Job were tested 44to the limit, Because 45he answers 46like sinners.37For he adds 47rebellion to his sin; He 48claps his hands among us, And multiplies his words against God.’”