Elihu Sharply Reproves Job
35 Elihu continued speaking [to Job] and said,
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“Do you think this is according to [your] justice?
Do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s’?
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“For you say, ‘What advantage have you [by living a righteous life]?
What profit will I have, more [by being righteous] than if I had sinned?’
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“I will answer you,
And your companions with you.
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“Look to the heavens and see;
And behold the skies which are [much] higher than you.
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“If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him?
And if your transgressions are multiplied, what have you done to Him?
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“If you are righteous, what do you give God,
Or what does He receive from your hand?
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“Your wickedness affects only a man such as you,
And your righteousness affects only [a]a son of man [but it cannot affect God, who is sovereign].
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“Because of the multitudes of oppressions the people cry out;
They cry for help because of the [violent] arm of the mighty.
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“But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,
Who gives songs [of rejoicing] in the night,(A)
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Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth
And makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?’
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“The people cry out, but He does not answer
Because of the pride of evil men.
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“Surely God will not listen to an empty cry [which lacks trust],
Nor will the Almighty regard it.
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“Even though you say that you do not see Him [when missing His righteous judgment on earth],
Yet your case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!
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“And now, because He has not [quickly] punished in His anger,
Nor has He acknowledged transgression and arrogance well [and seems unaware of the wrong of which a person is guilty],
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Job uselessly opens his mouth
And multiplies words without knowledge [drawing the worthless conclusion that the righteous have no more advantage than the wicked].”
Footnotes
- Job 35:8 I.e. a human being.