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 *ch. 12:11the ear tests words

as the palate tastes food.

4 Let us choose *1 Thess. 5:21,22what is right;

let us know among ourselves what is good.

5 For Job has said, ‘I am *See ch. 33:9in the right,

and *ch. 27:2God has taken away my right;

6 in spite of my right I am counted a liar;

my wound is incurable, though I am *ch. 33:9without transgression.’

7 What man is like Job,

who *See ch. 15:16drinks up scoffing like water,

8 who travels in company with evildoers

and walks *[Ps. 1:1]with wicked men?

9 For *ch. 9:22,23,30,31;21:7,15;24:1;[ch. 35:3;Mal. 3:14]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 *ch. 36:23;Gen. 18:25;Deut. 32:4;2 Chr. 19:7;Ps. 92:15;Rom. 9:14do wickedness,

and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.

11 For according to *Ps. 62:12;Prov. 24:12;Matt. 16:27;Rom. 2:6;2 Cor. 5:10;1 Pet. 1:17;Rev. 22:12the work of a man he will repay him,

and *Jer. 17:10;32:19;Ezek. 33:20according to his ways he will make it befall him.

12 Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,

and *See ch. 8:3the Almighty will not pervert justice.

13 Who gave him charge over the earth,

and who *See ch. 38:4-7laid on him*34:13 Hebrew lacks on him the whole world?

14 If he should *[ch. 2:3] set his heart to it

and *Ps. 104:29;[Ps. 146:4] gather to himself his *ch. 32:8spirit and his breath,

15 all flesh would perish together,

and man would *See ch. 10:9return to dust.

16 "If you have understanding, hear this;

listen to what I say.

17 *[Gen. 18:25]Shall one who hates justice govern?

Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,

18 who *Ex. 22:28says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’

and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’

19 who *Deut. 10:17;2 Chr. 19:7;Acts 10:34;Rom. 2:11;Gal. 2:6;Eph. 6:9;Col. 3:25;1 Pet. 1:17shows no partiality to princes,

nor regards the rich *[James 2:5] more than the poor,

for *See ch. 31:15they are all the work of his hands?

20 In a moment *ch. 21:13they die;

at *Ex. 11:4;[ch. 27:20;36:20] midnight the people are shaken and pass away,

and the mighty are taken away by *Dan. 8:25;[Lam. 4:6]no human hand.

21 "For his eyes are on *ch. 14:16;See ch. 31:4the ways of a man,

and he sees all his *ch. 14:16;See ch. 31:4steps.

22 There is no *[Ps. 139:12;Amos 9:2,3;Heb. 4:13] gloom or *See ch. 3:5deep darkness

where evildoers may hide themselves.

23 For God*34:23 Hebrew he has no need to consider a man further,

that he should go before God in *ch. 14:3judgment.

24 He *Ps. 2:9shatters the mighty without investigation

and sets *See ch. 8:19others in their place.

25 Thus, knowing their works,

he *Prov. 12:7overturns 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 *1 Sam. 15:11;Ps. 28:5;Isa. 5:12following him

and had no regard for any of his ways,

28 so that they *ch. 35:9;James 5:4;[Gen. 18:20,21] caused the cry of the poor to come to him,

and he *Ex. 3:7;22:23;Isa. 32:17heard 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 *ch. 35:11;36:22;Ps. 19:12;86:11teach 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 *ch. 33:32declare what you know.*34:33 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 *See ch. 35:16speaks 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 *See ch. 27:23claps his hands among us

and multiplies his words against God."