Job 34

Elihu Asserts God’s Justice

1 Then Elihu answered and said:

2  “Hear my words, you wise men,
and give ear to me, you who know;
 3 for a the ear tests words
as the palate tastes food.
 4 Let us choose b what is right;
let us know among ourselves what is good.
 5 For Job has said, ‘I am c in the right,
and d God has taken away my right;
 6 in spite of my right I am counted a liar;
my wound is incurable, though I am e without transgression.’
 7 What man is like Job,
who f drinks up scoffing like water,
 8 who travels in company with evildoers
and walks g with wicked men?
 9 For h he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
that he should take delight in God.’
 10  “Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding:
far be it from God that he should i do wickedness,
and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.
 11 For according to j the work of a man he will repay him,
and k according to his ways he will make it befall him.
 12 Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,
and l the Almighty will not pervert justice.
 13 Who gave him charge over the earth,
and who m laid on him ▼
▼ Hebrew lacks  on him
 the whole world?
 14 If he should o set his heart to it
and p gather to himself his q spirit and his breath,
 15 all flesh would perish together,
and man would r return to dust.
 16  “If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I say.
 17  s Shall one who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,
 18 who t says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’
 19 who u shows no partiality to princes,
nor regards the rich v more than the poor,
for w they are all the work of his hands?
 20 In a moment x they die;
at y midnight the people are shaken and pass away,
and the mighty are taken away by z no human hand.
 21  “For his eyes are on aa the ways of a man,
and he sees all his ab steps.
 22 There is no ac gloom or ad deep darkness
where evildoers may hide themselves.
 23 For God ▼
▼ Hebrew he
 has no need to consider a man further,
that he should go before God in af judgment.
 24 He ag shatters the mighty without investigation
and sets ah others in their place.
 25 Thus, knowing their works,
he ai overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.
 26 He strikes them for their wickedness
in a place for all to see,
 27 because they turned aside from aj following him
and had no regard for any of his ways,
 28 so that they ak caused the cry of the poor to come to him,
and he al heard the cry of the afflicted—
 29 When he is quiet, who can condemn?
When he hides his face, who can behold him,
whether it be a nation or a man?—
 30 that a godless man should not reign,
that he should not ensnare the people.
 31  “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne punishment; I will not offend any more;
 32  am teach me what I do not see;
if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?
 33 Will he then make repayment to suit you,
because you reject it?
For you must choose, and not I;
therefore an declare what you know. ▼
▼ The meaning of the Hebrew in verses 29–33 is uncertain

 34 Men of understanding will say to me,
and the wise man who hears me will say:
 35 ‘Job ap speaks without knowledge;
his words are without insight.’
 36 Would that Job were tried to the end,
because he answers like wicked men.
 37 For he adds rebellion to his sin;
he aq claps his hands among us
and multiplies his words against God.”
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