GodsWord - Job - 34

34:1  Elihu continued to speak to Job and his friends,

34:2  "Listen to my words, you wise men. Open your ears to me, you intelligent men.

34:3  The ear tests words like the tongue tastes food.

34:4  Let's decide for ourselves what is right and agree among ourselves as to what is good,

34:5  because Job has said, 'I'm righteous, but God has taken away my rights.

34:6  I'm considered a liar in spite of my rights. I've been wounded by a deadly arrow, though I haven't been disobedient.'

34:7  What person is like Job, who drinks scorn like water,

34:8  who travels with troublemakers and associates with evil people?

34:9  He says, 'It doesn't do any good to try to please God.'

34:10  "You people who have understanding, listen to me. It is unthinkable that God would ever do evil or that the Almighty would ever do wicked things.

34:11  God will repay humanity for what it has done and will give each person what he deserves.

34:12  Certainly, God will never do anything evil, and the Almighty will never pervert justice.

34:13  Who put him in charge of the earth? Who appointed him to be over the whole world?

34:14  If he thought only of himself and withdrew his Spirit and his breath,

34:15  all living beings would die together, and humanity would return to dust.

34:16  "If you understand, listen to this. Open your ears to my words!

34:17  Should anyone who hates justice be allowed to govern? Will you condemn the one who is righteous and mighty?

34:18  Should anyone even say to a king, 'You good-for-nothing scoundrel!' or to nobles, 'You wicked people!'

34:19  The one who is righteous and mighty does not grant special favors to princes or prefer important people over poor people because his hands made them all.

34:20  They die suddenly in the middle of the night. People have seizures and pass away. Mighty people are taken away but not by human hands.

34:21  God's eyes are on a person's ways. He sees all his steps.

34:22  There's no darkness or deep shadow where troublemakers can hide.

34:23  He doesn't have to set a time for a person in order to bring him to divine judgment.

34:24  He breaks mighty people into pieces without examining them and puts others in their places.

34:25  He knows what they do, so he overthrows them at night, and they're crushed.

34:26  In return for their evil, he strikes them in public,

34:27  because they turned away from following him and didn't consider any of his ways.

34:28  They forced the poor to cry out to him, and he hears the cry of those who suffer.

34:29  If he keeps quiet, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can see him whether it is a nation or a single person?

34:30  He does this so that godless people cannot rule and so that they cannot trap people.

34:31  "But suppose such a person says to God, 'I am guilty, I will stop my immoral behavior.

34:32  Teach me what I cannot see. If I've done wrong, I won't do it again.'

34:33  Should God reward you on your own terms since you have rejected his? You must choose, not I. Tell me what you know. Speak!

34:34  "People of understanding, the wise people who listen to me, will say,

34:35  'Job speaks without knowledge. His words show no insight.'

34:36  "My Father, let Job be thoroughly tested for giving answers like wicked people do.

34:37  He adds disobedience to his sin. He claps his hands to insult us. He multiplies his words against God."