Job 34

34 ¹Then Elihu continued and said: ²"Hear my words, you wise men; give ear to me, you who know. ³For the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food. ⁴Let us choose what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good. ⁵For Job has said, 'I am righteous, and God has taken away my justice; ⁶though I am in the right, I am counted a liar; my wound is incurable, though I am without rebellion.' ⁷What man is like Job, who drinks up scoffing like water, ⁸who keeps company with evildoers and walks with wicked men? ⁹For he has said, 'A man gains nothing by delighting in God.' ¹⁰Therefore hear me, you men of understanding: far be it from God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty to do wrong. ¹¹For according to the work of a man he repays him, and according to his ways he brings it upon him. ¹²Surely God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice. ¹³Who gave him charge over the earth, and who laid on him the whole world? ¹⁴If he should set his heart on man and withdraw his spirit and his breath, ¹⁵all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust. ¹⁶If you have understanding, hear this; listen to the sound of my words. ¹⁷Will one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty, ¹⁸who says to a king, 'Worthless one,' and to nobles, 'Wicked men,' ¹⁹who shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich above the poor, for they are all the work of his hands? ²⁰In a moment they die; at midnight the people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away by no human hand. ²¹For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps. ²²There is no darkness or deep shadow where evildoers may hide themselves. ²³For God has no need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment. ^a a v23 Elihu's point: God needs no formal hearing or set appointment to bring judgment — he simply acts. ²⁴He shatters the mighty without inquiry and sets others in their place. ²⁵Thus, knowing their works, he overturns them in the night, and they are crushed. ²⁶He strikes them for their wickedness in the sight of onlookers, ²⁷because they turned aside from following him and had no regard for any of his ways, ²⁸so that they drove the poor to cry out to him, and he heard the cry of the afflicted. ²⁹When he is quiet, who can condemn? When he hides his face, who can see him—whether it is a nation or a man, ³⁰so that no godless man may reign or ensnare the people. ³¹For has anyone said to God, 'I have borne my punishment; I will offend no more; ³²teach me what I do not see; if I have done wrong, I will do it no more'? ³³Will he repay you on your own terms because you reject his correction? For you must choose, not I; therefore declare what you know. ³⁴Men of understanding will say to me, and every wise man who hears me will say, ³⁵'Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without insight.' ³⁶If only Job were tested to the limit for answering like wicked men! ³⁷For he adds rebellion to his sin; he mocks us openly and multiplies his words against God."