Job Chapter 34
1 Elihu continued:
2 “Listen, you wise men;
pay attention, you that ‘know’;
3 the ear tests words
like the palate tastes food.
4 Let’s choose what’s right;
let’s determine for ourselves what’s good;
5 because Job has said, ‘I’m good,
but God has disregarded my goodness.
6 Should I lie about my goodness?
I have a wound that won’t heal,
but I haven’t done anything wrong.’
7 Who is like Job
that drinks scorn like water,
8 that pals around with sinners,
that associates with bad people—
9 because he said, ‘What good does it do
to try to please God’?
Job 34:1-9
10 “So, listen, you that ‘understand.’
God would not sin;
the Almighty would never do what’s wrong.
11 He pays everyone according to what they’ve done
and treats them the way their living deserves.
12 God doesn’t act wickedly;
the Almighty won’t pervert justice.
13 Who gave him authority over the earth?
Who laid the whole world on him?
14 If he’d take back his spirit,
if he’d gather his breath to himself,
15 everybody would die;
mortals would return to dust.
Job 34:10-15
16 “But if you understand,
listen to what I’m saying.
17 Would God be ruling if he hated justice?
Will you condemn someone great that’s good,
18 who tells kings, ‘You’re worthless,’
or nobles, ‘You’re corrupt,’
19 who doesn’t show deference to officials
or care more about the rich than the poor?
They’re all God’s work.
20 They die quickly;
at midnight they shudder and pass away;
the powerful are taken away without human hand.
Job 34:16-20
21 “He watches what people do;
he sees their every step.
22 There’s no darkness or deep shadow
where sinners can hide.
23 He doesn’t have to investigate anyone
and bring them in to find out what they’ve done.
24 He brings the mighty to ruin without an investigation
and replaces them with others.
25 He knows what they’ve done;
he overthrows them at night and destroys them.
Job 34:21-25
26 He strikes them down openly for their sinfulness
27 because they’ve turned aside from following him
and don’t care about his ways;
28 they’ve made the poor cry out to him,
so he hears the call of the oppressed—
29 if he does keep quiet, who can condemn him?
when he hides, who can see him,
whether individual or nation?—
30 so the godless won’t rule
or become a snare to other people.
Job 34:26-30
31 “Has anybody told God,
‘I’ve been disciplined; I won’t offend anymore’;
32 or, ‘Show me what I didn’t notice;
if I’ve sinned, I won’t do it again’?
33 Will God punish in a way that suits you
when you’re the one that rejected him?
You have to make the choice, not me;
say what you know.
34 People with insight say to me—
the wise, who listen to me—
35 ‘Job doesn’t know what he’s talking about;
his words don’t make sense.
36 He deserves the maximum penalty
because of the sinful way he answers.
37 He’s adding rebellion to his sins;
he scornfully claps his hands at us
and multiplies his words against God.’”
Job 34:31-37