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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 the ear tests words
    as the palate tastes food.
4  Let us choose what is right;
    let us know among ourselves what is good.
5  For Job has said, ‘I am in the right,
    and God has taken away my right;
6  in spite of my right I am counted a liar;
    my wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7  What man is like Job,
    who drinks up scoffing like water,
8  who travels in company with evildoers
    and walks with wicked men?
9  For 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 do wickedness,
    and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.
11  For according to the work of a man he will repay him,
    and according to his ways he will make it befall him.
12  Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,
    and the Almighty will not pervert justice.
13  Who gave him charge over the earth,
    and who laid on him ^{1 34:13 Hebrew lacks on him} the whole world?
14  If he should set his heart to it
    and gather to himself his spirit and his breath,
15  all flesh would perish together,
    and man would return to dust.

16  If you have understanding, hear this;
    listen to what I say.
17  Shall one who hates justice govern?
    Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,
18  who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
    and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’
19  who shows no partiality to princes,
    nor regards the rich more than the poor,
    for they are all the work of his hands?
20  In a moment they die;
    at midnight the people are shaken and pass away,
    and the mighty are taken away by no human hand.

21  For his eyes are on the ways of a man,
    and he sees all his steps.
22  There is no gloom or deep darkness
    where evildoers may hide themselves.
23  For God ^{2 34:23 Hebrew he} has no need to consider a man further,
    that he should go before God in judgment.
24  He shatters the mighty without investigation
    and sets others in their place.
25  Thus, knowing their works,
    he 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 following him
    and had no regard for any of his ways,
28  so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him,
    and he 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  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 declare what you know. ^{3 34:33 The meaning of the Hebrew in verses 2933 is uncertain}
34  Men of understanding will say to me,
    and the wise man who hears me will say:
35  ‘Job 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 claps his hands among us
    and multiplies his words against God.”

Elihu Condemns Job

1 And Elihu answered and said:

2  “Do you think this to be just?
    Do you say, ‘It is my right before God,’
3  that you ask, ‘What advantage have I?
    How am I better off than if I had sinned?’
4  I will answer you
    and your friends with you.
5  Look at the heavens, and see;
    and behold the clouds, which 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 concerns a man like yourself,
    and your righteousness a son of man.

9  Because of the multitude of oppressions people cry out;
    they call for help because of the arm of the mighty. ^{4 35:9 Or the many}
10  But none says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
    who gives songs in the night,
11  who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth
    and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’
12  There they cry out, but he does not answer,
    because of the pride of evil men.
13  Surely God does not hear an empty cry,
    nor does the Almighty regard it.
14  How much less when you say that you do not see him,
    that the case is before him, and you are waiting for him!
15  And now, because his anger does not punish,
    and he does not take much note of transgression, ^{5 35:15 Theodotion, Symmachus (compare Vulgate); the meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain}
16  Job opens his mouth in empty talk;
    he multiplies words without knowledge.”