Job 34

¹Moreover Elihu answered, ²“Hear my words, you wise men. Give ear to me, you who have knowledge. ³For the ear tries words, as the palate tastes food. ⁴Let us choose for us that which is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good. ⁵For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, God has taken away my right: ⁶Notwithstanding my right I am considered a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without disobedience.’ ⁷What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water, ⁸Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men? ⁹For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.’ ¹⁰“Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity. ¹¹For the work of a man he will render to him, and cause every man to find according to his ways. ¹²Yes surely, God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert justice. ¹³Who put him in charge of the earth? or who has appointed him over the whole world? ¹⁴If he set his heart on himself, If he gathered to himself his spirit and his breath, ¹⁵all flesh would perish together, and man would turn again to dust. ¹⁶“If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words. ¹⁷Shall even one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty?— ¹⁸Who says to a king, ‘Vile!’ or to nobles, ‘Wicked!’? ¹⁹Who doesn’t respect the persons of princes, nor respects the rich more than the poor; for they all are the work of his hands. ²⁰In a moment they die, even at midnight. The people are shaken and pass away. The mighty are taken away without a hand. ²¹“For his eyes are on the ways of a man. He sees all his goings. ²²There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. ²³For he doesn’t need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment. ²⁴He breaks in pieces mighty men in ways past finding out, and sets others in their place. ²⁵Therefore he takes knowledge of their works. He overturns them in the night, so that they are destroyed. ²⁶He strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others; ²⁷because they turned away from following him, and wouldn’t pay attention to any of his ways, ²⁸so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him. He heard the cry of the afflicted. ²⁹When he gives quietness, who then can condemn? When he hides his face, who then can see him? Alike whether to a nation, or to a man, ³⁰that the godless man may not reign, that there be no one to ensnare the people. ³¹“For has any said to God, ‘I am guilty, but I will not offend any more. ³²Teach me that which I don’t see. If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’? ³³Shall his recompense be as you desire, that you refuse it? For you must choose, and not I. Therefore speak what you know. ³⁴Men of understanding will tell me, yes, every wise man who hears me: ³⁵‘Job speaks without knowledge. His words are without wisdom.’ ³⁶I wish that Job were tried to the end, because of his answering like wicked men. ³⁷For he adds rebellion to his sin. He claps his hands among us, and multiplies his words against God.”

World English Bible (public domain)