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Elihu Proclaims God’s Justice

34Then Elihu continued and said:
² ‘Hear my words, you wise men,
   and give ear to me, you who know;
³ for the ear tests words
   as the palate tastes food.
⁴ Let us choose what is right;
   let us determine among ourselves what is good.
⁵ For Job has said, “I am innocent,
   and God has taken away my right;
⁶ in spite of being right I am counted a liar;
   my wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.”
⁷ Who is there like Job,
   who drinks up scoffing like water,
⁸ who goes in company with evildoers
   and walks with the wicked?
⁹ For he has said, “It profits one nothing
   to take delight in God.”

¹⁰ ‘Therefore, hear me, you who have sense,
   far be it from God that he should do wickedness,
   and from the Almighty^* that he should do wrong.
¹¹ For according to their deeds he will repay them,
   and according to their ways he will make it befall them.
¹² Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,
   and the Almighty^* will not pervert justice.
¹³ Who gave him charge over the earth
   and who laid on him^* the whole world?
¹⁴ If he should take back his spirit^* to himself,
   and gather to himself his breath,
¹⁵ all flesh would perish together,
   and all mortals return to dust.

¹⁶ ‘If you have understanding, hear this;
   listen to what I say.
¹⁷ Shall one who hates justice govern?
   Will you condemn one who is righteous and mighty,
¹⁸ who says to a king, “You scoundrel!”
   and to princes, “You wicked men!”;
¹⁹ who shows no partiality to nobles,
   nor regards the rich more than the poor,
   for they are all the work of his hands?
²⁰ In a moment they die;
   at midnight the people are shaken and pass away,
   and the mighty are taken away by no human hand.

²¹ ‘For his eyes are upon the ways of mortals,
   and he sees all their steps.
²² There is no gloom or deep darkness
   where evildoers may hide themselves.
²³ For he has not appointed a time^* for anyone
   to go before God in judgement.
²⁴ He shatters the mighty without investigation,
   and sets others in their place.
²⁵ Thus, knowing their works,
   he overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.
²⁶ He strikes them for their wickedness
   while others look on,
²⁷ because they turned aside from following him,
   and had no regard for any of his ways,
²⁸ so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him,
   and he heard the cry of the afflicted—
²⁹ When he is quiet, who can condemn?
   When he hides his face, who can behold him,
   whether it be a nation or an individual?—
³⁰ so that the godless should not reign,
   or those who ensnare the people.

³¹ ‘For has anyone said to God,
   “I have endured punishment; I will not offend any more;
³² teach me what I do not see;
   if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more”?
³³ Will he then pay back to suit you,
   because you reject it?
For you must choose, and not I;
   therefore declare what you know.^*
34 Those who have sense will say to me,
   and the wise who hear me will say,
³⁵ “Job speaks without knowledge,
   his words are without insight.”
³⁶ Would that Job were tried to the limit,
   because his answers are those of the wicked.
³⁷ For he adds rebellion to his sin;
   he claps his hands among us,
   and multiplies his words against God.’