ASV - Job Chapter 34 to 36

34 Job 34

¹Moreover Elihu answered and said, ²Hear my words, ye wise men; And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge. ³For the ear trieth words, As the palate tasteth food. ⁴Let us choose for us that which is right: Let us know among ourselves what is good. ⁵For Job hath said, I am righteous, And God hath taken away my right: ⁶Notwithstanding my right I am accounted a liar; My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression. ⁷What man is like Job, Who drinketh up scoffing like water, ⁸Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, And walketh with wicked men? ⁹For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing That he should delight himself with God. ¹⁰Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, And from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity. ¹¹For the work of a man will he render unto him, And cause every man to find according to his ways. ¹²Yea, of a surety, God will not do wickedly, Neither will the Almighty pervert justice. ¹³Who gave him a charge over the earth? Or who hath disposed the whole world? ¹⁴If he set his heart upon himself, If he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; ¹⁵All flesh shall perish together, And man shall turn again unto dust. ¹⁶If now thou hast understanding, hear this: Hearken to the voice of my words. ¹⁷Shall even one that hateth justice govern? And wilt thou condemn him that is righteous and mighty?- ¹⁸Him that saith to a king, Thou art vile, Or to nobles, Ye are wicked; ¹⁹That respecteth not the persons of princes, Nor regardeth the rich more than the poor; For they all are the work of his hands. ²⁰In a moment they die, even at midnight; The people are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without hand. ²¹For his eyes are upon the ways of a man, And he seeth all his goings. ²²There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. ²³For he needeth not further to consider a man, That he should go before God in judgment. ²⁴He breaketh in pieces mighty men in ways past finding out, And setteth others in their stead. ²⁵Therefore he taketh knowledge of their works; And he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed. ²⁶He striketh them as wicked men In the open sight of others; ²⁷Because they turned aside from following him, And would not have regard in any of his ways: ²⁸So that they caused the cry of the poor to come unto him, And he heard the cry of the afflicted. ²⁹When he giveth quietness, who then can condemn? And when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? Alike whether it be done unto a nation, or unto a man: ³⁰That the godless man reign not, That there be none to ensnare the people. ³¹For hath any said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more: ³²That which I see not teach thou me: If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more? ³³Shall his recompense be as thou wilt, that thou refusest it? For thou must choose, and not I: Therefore speak what thou knowest. ³⁴Men of understanding will say unto me, Yea, every wise man that heareth me: ³⁵Job speaketh without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom. ³⁶Would that Job were tried unto the end, Because of his answering like wicked men. ³⁷For he addeth rebellion unto his sin; He clappeth his hands among us, And multiplieth his words against God.

35 Job 35

¹Moreover Elihu answered and said, ²Thinkest thou this to be thy right, Or sayest thou, My righteousness is more than God's, ³That thou sayest, What advantage will it be unto thee? And, What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned? ⁴I will answer thee, And thy companions with thee. ⁵Look unto the heavens, and see; And behold the skies, which are higher than thou. ⁶If thou hast sinned, what effectest thou against him? And if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him? ⁷If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? Or what receiveth he of thy hand? ⁸Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; And thy righteousness may profit a son of man. ⁹By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty. ¹⁰But none saith, Where is God my Maker, Who giveth songs in the night, ¹¹Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, And maketh us wiser than the birds of the heavens? ¹²There they cry, but none giveth answer, Because of the pride of evil men. ¹³Surely God will not hear an empty cry, Neither will the Almighty regard it. ¹⁴How much less when thou sayest thou beholdest him not, The cause is before him, and thou waitest for him! ¹⁵But now, because he hath not visited in his anger, Neither doth he greatly regard arrogance; ¹⁶Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vanity; He multiplieth words without knowledge.

36 Job 36

¹Elihu also proceeded, and said, ²Suffer me a little, and I will show thee; For I have yet somewhat to say on God's behalf. ³I will fetch my knowledge from afar, And will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. ⁴For truly my words are not false: One that is perfect in knowledge is with thee. ⁵Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: He is mighty in strength of understanding. ⁶He preserveth not the life of the wicked, But giveth to the afflicted their right. ⁷He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: But with kings upon the throne He setteth them for ever, and they are exalted. ⁸And if they be bound in fetters, And be taken in the cords of afflictions; ⁹Then he showeth them their work, And their transgressions, that they have behaved themselves proudly. ¹⁰He openeth also their ear to instruction, And commandeth that they return from iniquity. ¹¹If they hearken and serve him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures. ¹²But if they hearken not, they shall perish by the sword, And they shall die without knowledge. ¹³But they that are godless in heart lay up anger: They cry not for help when he bindeth them. ¹⁴They die in youth, And their life perisheth among the unclean. ¹⁵He delivereth the afflicted by their affliction, And openeth their ear in oppression. ¹⁶Yea, he would have allured thee out of distress Into a broad place, where there is no straitness; And that which is set on thy table would be full of fatness. ¹⁷But thou art full of the judgment of the wicked: Judgment and justice take hold on thee. ¹⁸For let not wrath stir thee up against chastisements; Neither let the greatness of the ransom turn thee aside. ¹⁹Will thy cry avail, that thou be not in distress, Or all the forces of thy strength? ²⁰Desire not the night, When peoples are cut off in their place. ²¹Take heed, regard not iniquity: For this hast thou chosen rather than affliction. ²²Behold, God doeth loftily in his power: Who is a teacher like unto him? ²³Who hath enjoined him his way? Or who can say, Thou hast wrought unrighteousness? ²⁴Remember that thou magnify his work, Whereof men have sung. ²⁵All men have looked thereon; Man beholdeth it afar off. ²⁶Behold, God is great, and we know him not; The number of his years is unsearchable. ²⁷For he draweth up the drops of water, Which distil in rain from his vapor, ²⁸Which the skies pour down And drop upon man abundantly. ²⁹Yea, can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, The thunderings of his pavilion? ³⁰Behold, he spreadeth his light around him; And he covereth the bottom of the sea. ³¹For by these he judgeth the peoples; He giveth food in abundance. ³²He covereth his hands with the lightning, And giveth it a charge that it strike the mark. ³³The noise thereof telleth concerning him, The cattle also concerning the storm that cometh up.