The FarAboveAll translation of the Old Testament from the Masoretic Hebrew and Aramaic (WLC). See details on www.FarAboveAll.com.

Version 0.35.76, 26 August 2024

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Job Chapter 34

1Furthermore Elihu continued speaking and said,

2You who are wise,

Hear my words,

And you who are knowledgeable,

Give ear to me.

3For the ear puts words to the test,

As the palate tastes that which is to be eaten.

4Let us choose justice for ourselves;

Let us find out among ourselves what is good.

5For Job has said,

‘I am just,

But God has taken away my justice.

6Do I lie concerning my justice?

The arrow with which I have been struck is grievous,

Though I am without transgression.’

7What man is like Job?

He drinks mockery like water,

8And he travels in the company of perpetrators of iniquity,

And he walks with wicked men.

9For he has said,

‘It does not profit a man

To take delight in God.’

10Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding.

Far be God from wickedness,

And the Almighty from iniquity.

11For he repays a man his work,

And according to the way of a man,

So he requites him.

12It is indeed certain that God does not act wickedly,

And that the Almighty does not pervert justice.

13Who gave him charge over the earth?

And who appointed him over the whole world?

14If he were to consider only himself,

And to gather to himself his spirit and his breath,

15All flesh would expire together,

And man would return to dust.

16Now if you have understanding,

Listen to this.

Give ear to the sound of my words.

17Can one who hates justice make binding laws?

Or will you condemn the great just one?

18Is it fitting to say to a king,

You are useless’,

Or to princes,

You are wicked’?

19How much less to him who does not show partiality to nobles,

And who does not favour the opulent above the poor?

For all of them are the work of his hands.

20In a moment, they die,

And in the middle of the night a people is shaken,

And they pass away.

A mighty people is removed,

But not by hand.

21For his eyes are on the ways of man,

And he sees all his steps.

22There is no darkness,

And there is no shadow of death,

For the perpetrators of iniquity to hide there.

23For he no longer makes charges against man

For him to enter into a judicial process with God;

24He breaks the mighty in an unsearchable way

And sets up others in their place.

25So then, he recognizes their works

And overturns them at night,

And they are broken in pieces.

26He strikes them on account of their wicked deeds

In a place where people can see it,

27Because they turned away from following him,

And they did not prudently attend to any of his ways,

28So bringing the cry of the poor to him,

So that he heard the cry of the needy.

29When he imposes quietness,

Who can act wickedly?

And when he hides his face,

Who can see him?

And whether it is against a people or whether against a man,

It is the same.

30He acts so that the profane man cannot reign,

Giving protection from snares targeting the people.

31For does one say to God,

‘I have suffered punishment;

I will no longer act perversely.

32Teach me what I do not see;

If I have committed iniquity,

I will do so no more’?

33Should he repay you for it on your terms,

And say,

It does not matter if you reject one thing or choose another,

And I have no say?

So say what you know.’

34Let men of understanding speak to me,

And let the wise man listen to me.

35Job has not spoken knowledgeably,

And his words were not prudent.

36My desire is that Job should be tested to the limit,

Because his answers were in line with those of iniquitous men.

37For he has added transgression to his sin;

He has clapped his hands in our company

And spoken at length against God.”

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