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Elihu continues to speak [ a ]

35 Elihu continued to speak to Job. This is what he said:

2 ‘The things that you say cannot be true.
You say, “I am more right than God is.”
3 But you also say, “If I do nothing wrong,
God does not bless me.
No good thing comes to me.”
4 Now I will give you an answer.
I will also speak to the friends who are with you.

5 Look up at the sky to see what is there.
Look at the clouds that are so high above you.
6 If you do something that is wrong,
it does not hurt God.
Even if you do many wrong things,
it does nothing to him.
7 If you are righteous,
that does nothing to help God.
He does not receive anything that he needs from you.
8 If you do wicked things,
it is other people who suffer, not God.
And if you do good things,
you are only helping other people.

9 When people suffer,
they call aloud for help.
They cry for help
when powerful people attack them.
10 But none of them says, “I want God to help me.
He made me. He gives me songs to sing in dark nights.
11 God teaches us more things than he teaches to the animals.
He makes us wiser than the birds.”
12 Finally, they call for help.
But God does not answer them,
because they are proud and wicked people.
13 Their prayers mean nothing.
Almighty God does not even listen to them.
14 So God will certainly not listen to you, Job,
when you say that you cannot see him.
You say that you have explained your problem to him.
You are waiting for him to give you an answer.
15 You also say that God does not become angry
with people who do wrong things.
You say that he does not punish bad people.

16 So, Job, you do not understand what you are saying.
You speak a lot of words
but they do not mean anything.’

Footnotes

  1. 35:1 Job has asked why he should live the right way. Elihu answers him now. Job may do good things or bad things. It does not matter to God, Elihu says (verses 1 to 8). Job has also asked why God does not answer his prayers. Elihu answers this, too. Job may have done wrong things, so God does not answer his prayers (verse 12). Or Job may not believe that God answers people's prayers (verse 13). None of these answers helps Job.

35 Elihu continued talking and said,

2 “Job, it is not fair for you to say,
‘I am more right than God,’
3 because you also ask him,
‘What’s the use of trying to please you?
What good will it do me if I don’t sin?’

4 “Job, I want to answer you and your friends here with you.
5 Look up at the sky.
Look at the clouds, which are so much higher than you.
6 If you sin, it does not hurt God.
Even if your sins are too many to count, that does nothing to God.
7 And if you are good, that does not help God.
He gets nothing from you.
8 Job, the good and bad things you do
affect only other people like yourself.

9 “If people are being hurt, they cry out
and beg for protection from those who hurt them.
10 But they forget to say, ‘Where is God, the one who made me?
He is the one who gives us songs to sing in the night.
11 He is the one who makes us smarter than any animal on earth
and wiser than any bird.’

12 “Or if evil people ask God for help, he will not answer them,
because they are too proud.
13 God will not listen to their worthless begging.
God All-Powerful will not pay attention to them.
14 So, Job, God will not listen to you
when you say that you don’t see him.
You say you are waiting for your chance to meet with him
and prove that you are innocent.

15 “Job thinks that God does not punish evil
and that he pays no attention to sin.
16 So he continues his worthless talking.
Everything he has said shows he does not know what he is talking about.”

35 Elihu spake moreover, and said,

2 Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God's?

3 For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

4 I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

5 Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

6 If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

7 If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

8 Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

9 By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.

10 But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;

11 Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

12 There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

13 Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

14 Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is before him; therefore trust thou in him.

15 But now, because it is not so, he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth it not in great extremity:

16 Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

Elihu Sharply Rebukes Job

35 Then Elihu continued and said,

2 “Do you think this is in accordance with ( A ) justice?
Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
3 For you say, ‘ ( B ) What advantage will it be to [ a ] You?
( C ) What benefit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’
4 I will answer you,
And your friends with you.
5 ( D ) Look at the heavens and see;
And look at ( E ) the clouds—they are higher than you.
6 If you have sinned, ( F ) what do you accomplish against Him?
And if your wrongdoings are many, what do you do to Him?
7 If you are righteous, ( G ) what do you give to Him,
Or what does He receive from your hand?
8 Your wickedness is for a man like yourself,
And your righteousness is for a son of man.

9 “Because of the ( H ) multitude of oppressions they cry out;
They cry for help because of the arm ( I ) of the mighty.
10 But ( J ) no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
Who ( K ) gives songs in the night,
11 Who ( L ) teaches us more than the animals of the earth
And makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?’
12 There ( M ) they cry out, but He does not answer
Because of the pride of evil people.
13 ( N ) God certainly will not listen to [ b ] an empty cry ,
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
14 How much less when ( O ) you say you do not look at Him,
The ( P ) case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!
15 And now, because He has not avenged His anger,
Nor has He acknowledged [ c ] wrongdoing well,
16 So Job opens his mouth with empty words ;
He multiplies words ( Q ) without knowledge.”

Footnotes

  1. Job 35:3 Or me
  2. Job 35:13 Or falsehood
  3. Job 35:15 Or arrogance

35 Then Elihu said:

2 “Do you think this is just?
You say, ‘I am in the right, ( A ) not God.’ ( B )
3 Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me, [ a ]
and what do I gain by not sinning?’ ( C )

4 “I would like to reply to you
and to your friends with you.
5 Look up at the heavens ( D ) and see;
gaze at the clouds so high above you. ( E )
6 If you sin, how does that affect him?
If your sins are many, what does that do to him? ( F )
7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him, ( G )
or what does he receive ( H ) from your hand? ( I )
8 Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself, ( J )
and your righteousness only other people. ( K )

9 “People cry out ( L ) under a load of oppression; ( M )
they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful. ( N )
10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, ( O )
who gives songs ( P ) in the night, ( Q )
11 who teaches ( R ) us ( S ) more than he teaches [ b ] the beasts of the earth
and makes us wiser than [ c ] the birds in the sky?’
12 He does not answer ( T ) when people cry out
because of the arrogance ( U ) of the wicked. ( V )
13 Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea;
the Almighty pays no attention to it. ( W )
14 How much less, then, will he listen
when you say that you do not see him, ( X )
that your case ( Y ) is before him
and you must wait for him, ( Z )
15 and further, that his anger never punishes ( AA )
and he does not take the least notice of wickedness. [ d ] ( AB )
16 So Job opens his mouth with empty talk; ( AC )
without knowledge he multiplies words.” ( AD )

Footnotes

  1. Job 35:3 Or you
  2. Job 35:11 Or night, / 11 who teaches us by
  3. Job 35:11 Or us wise by
  4. Job 35:15 Symmachus, Theodotion and Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
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