Job
Chapter 34
1 Elihu replied and said,
2 Listen to me, you wise people; pay attention, you who have understanding.
3 The ear tests words like the mouth tastes food.
4 Let’s decide what is fair; let’s understand together what is good.
5 Job has said, “I am righteous,” but God has taken away my right to a fair judgment.
6 Should I lie against what is right? My injury is incurable, though I did no wrong.
7 Who is like Job, who drinks up mockery as easily as water?
8 Who spends time with those who do wrong and walks with evil people.
9 He has said, “It benefits a person nothing to enjoy being with God.”
10 Listen to me, wise men: God would never do evil, and the All-Powerful would never act unjustly.
11 God will repay a person for what they have done and give each one what their actions deserve.
12 Yes, surely God will not act wrongly, nor will the Almighty twist justice.
13 Who has put him in charge of the earth? Or who has arranged the whole world?
14 If God decides to focus on a person, if he takes back that person’s life and breath;
15 Everyone will die at the same time, and humans will become dust again.
16 If you understand now, listen to this: pay attention to what I am saying.
17 Can someone who hates justice rule? Will you condemn the one who is completely fair?
18 Is it right to tell a king, “You are bad” or to rulers, “You are evil”?
19 How much less to someone who doesn’t favor leaders or value the rich over the poor? For they are all created by God.
20 Suddenly they will die, the people will panic at midnight and vanish; and the powerful will be removed effortlessly.
21 God watches over people’s paths and sees everything they do.
22 There is no darkness or shadow of death where the wrongdoers can hide.
23 God will not give a person more than is fair, so that they would have to argue with God.
24 He will shatter countless strong men and replace them with others.
25 So he knows what they do, and he turns things upside down at night, destroying them.
26 He strikes them as bad people for all to see.
27 They turned away from God and did not think about any of His ways.
28 So they make the poor’s cries reach God, and he hears the cries of those who are suffering.
29 When God brings peace, who can cause trouble? And when God hides, who can see him? It doesn’t matter if it’s a whole country or just one person.
30 Let not the false person rule, so the people won’t be trapped.
31 It is right to tell God, “I have accepted punishment, I will not sin again.”
32 Teach me what I do not see; if I have done wrong, I will not do it again.
33 Should it go as you want? God will repay it, whether you refuse or choose; not me. So say what you know.
34 Let people with understanding tell me, and let a wise person listen to me.
35 Job spoke without understanding, and his words lacked wisdom.
36 I want Job to be tested to the limit because of how he answers for evil people.
37 He makes his sin worse by rebelling, applauds himself in our presence, and speaks many words against God.