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Job 34 :: New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB95)

Elihu Vindicates God's Justice

Job 34:1Then Elihu continued and said,
Job 34:2“Hear my words, you wise men,
And listen to me, you who know.
Job 34:3“For the ear tests words
As the palate tastes food.
Job 34:4“Let us choose for ourselves what is right;
Let us know among ourselves what is good.
Job 34:5“For Job has said, ‘I am righteous,
But God has taken away my right;
Job 34:6[fn]Should I lie concerning my right?
My [fn]wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
Job 34:7“What man is like Job,
Who drinks up derision like water,
Job 34:8Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walks with wicked men?
Job 34:9“For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
When he [fn]is pleased with God.’
Job 34:10“Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding.
Far be it from God to do wickedness,
And from the Almighty to do wrong.
Job 34:11“For He pays a man according to his work,
And makes [fn]him find it according to his way.
Job 34:12“Surely, God will not act wickedly,
And the Almighty will not pervert justice.
Job 34:13“Who gave Him authority over the earth?
And who has laid on Him the whole world?
Job 34:14“If He should [fn]determine to do so,
If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath,
Job 34:15All flesh would perish together,
And man would return to dust.
Job 34:16“But if you have understanding, hear this;
Listen to the sound of my words.
Job 34:17“Shall one who hates justice rule?
And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,
Job 34:18Who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
To nobles, ‘Wicked ones’;
Job 34:19Who shows no partiality to princes
Nor regards the rich above the poor,
For they all are the work of His hands?
Job 34:20“In a moment they die, and at midnight
People are shaken and pass away,
And the mighty are taken away without a hand.
Job 34:21“For His eyes are upon the ways of a man,
And He sees all his steps.
Job 34:22“There is no darkness or deep shadow
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
Job 34:23“For He does not need to consider a man further,
That he should go before God in judgment.
Job 34:24“He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry,
And sets others in their place.
Job 34:25“Therefore He knows their works,
And He overthrows them in the night,
And they are crushed.
Job 34:26“He strikes them like the wicked
[fn]In a public place,
Job 34:27Because they turned aside from following Him,
And had no regard for any of His ways;
Job 34:28So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him,
And that He might hear the cry of the afflicted
Job 34:29When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn?
And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him,
That is, in regard to both nation and man?
Job 34:30So that godless men would not rule
Nor be snares of the people.
Job 34:31“For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne chastisement;
I will not offend anymore;
Job 34:32Teach me what I do not see;
If I have done iniquity,
I will not do it again’?
Job 34:33“Shall He recompense on your terms, because you have rejected it?
For you must choose, and not I;
Therefore declare what you know.
Job 34:34“Men of understanding will say to me,
And a wise man who hears me,
Job 34:35‘Job speaks without knowledge,
And his words are without wisdom.
Job 34:36‘Job ought to be tried [fn]to the limit,
Because he answers like wicked men.
Job 34:37‘For he adds rebellion to his sin;
He claps his hands among us,
And multiplies his words against God.’”
NASB95 Footnotes
Or, Although I am right I am accounted a liar
Literally: arrow
Or, takes delight in God
Literally: a man
Literally: set His mind on Himself
Literally: In the place of the ones seeing
Or, to the end
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New American Standard Bible 1995
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