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34:1  Elihu continued his discourse and said,
34:2  “Hear my words, you wise men, And listen to me, you who have [so much] knowledge.
34:3  “For the ear puts words to the test As the palate tastes food.
34:4  “Let us choose for ourselves that which is right; Let us know among ourselves what is good.
34:5  “For Job has said, ‘I am righteous [and innocent], But God has taken away my right;
34:6  Although I am right, I am accounted a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
34:7  “What man is like Job, Who drinks up derision like water,
34:8  Who goes in company with those who do evil And walks with wicked men?
34:9  “For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing When he takes delight and is pleased with God and obeys Him.’
34:10  “Therefore hear me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God that He would do wickedness, And from the Almighty to do wrong.
34:11  “For God pays a man according to his work, And He will make every man find [appropriate] compensation according to his way.
34:12  “Surely God will not act wickedly, Nor will the Almighty pervert justice.
34:13  “Who put God in charge over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world?
34:14  “If God should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself [that is, withdraw from man] His [life-giving] spirit and His breath,
34:15  All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.
34:16  “If you now have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.
34:17  “Shall one who hates justice [and is an enemy of right] govern? And will you condemn Him who is just and mighty?
34:18  “God who says to a king, ‘You are worthless and vile,’ Or to princes and nobles, ‘You are wicked and evil’?
34:19  “Who is not partial to princes, Nor does He regard the rich above the poor, For they all are the work of His hands.
34:20  “In a moment they die, even at midnight The people are shaken and pass away, And the powerful are taken away without a [human] hand.
34:21  “For God’s eyes are on the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.
34:22  “There is no darkness nor deep shadow Where the evildoers may hide themselves.
34:23  “For He sets no appointed time for a man, That he should appear before Him in judgment.
34:24  “He breaks mighty men without inquiry, And sets others in their place.
34:25  “Therefore He knows of their works, And He overthrows them in the night, So that they are crushed and destroyed.
34:26  “He strikes them like the wicked In a public place,
34:27  Because they turned aside from following Him And would not consider or show regard for any of His ways,
34:28  So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him, And He heard the cry of the afflicted.
34:29  “When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn? When He hides His face [withdrawing His favor and help], who then can behold Him [and make supplication to Him], Whether it be a nation or a man by himself?—
34:30  So that godless men would not rule Nor be snares for the people.
34:31  “For has anyone said to God, ‘I have endured my chastisement; I will not offend anymore;
34:32  Teach me what I do not see [in regard to how I have sinned]; If I have done wrong (injustice, unrighteousness), I will not do it again’?
34:33  “Shall God’s retribution [for your sins] be on your terms, because you refuse to accept it? For you must do the choosing, and not I; Therefore say what you [truthfully] know.
34:34  “Men of understanding will tell me, Indeed, every wise man who hears me [will agree],
34:35  ‘Job speaks without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom and insight.
34:36  ‘Job ought to be tried to the limit Because he answers like wicked men!
34:37  ‘For he adds rebellion [in his unsubmissive, defiant attitude toward God] to his [unacknowledged] sin; He claps his hands among us [in open mockery and contempt of God], And he multiplies his words [of accusation] against God.’”