English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
1Then Elihu answered and said: | 1Then Elihu said: |
2“Hear my words, you wise men, and give ear to me, you who know; | 2“Listen to me, you wise men. Pay attention, you who have knowledge. |
3for the ear tests words as the palate tastes food. | 3Job said, ‘The ear tests the words it hears just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.’ |
4Let us choose what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good. | 4So let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good. |
5For Job has said, ‘I am in the right, and God has taken away my right; | 5For Job also said, ‘I am innocent, but God has taken away my rights. |
6in spite of my right I am counted a liar; my wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’ | 6I am innocent, but they call me a liar. My suffering is incurable, though I have not sinned.’ |
7What man is like Job, who drinks up scoffing like water, | 7“Tell me, has there ever been a man like Job, with his thirst for irreverent talk? |
8who travels in company with evildoers and walks with wicked men? | 8He chooses evil people as companions. He spends his time with wicked men. |
9For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should take delight in God.’ | 9He has even said, ‘Why waste time trying to please God?’ |
10“Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong. | 10“Listen to me, you who have understanding. Everyone knows that God doesn’t sin! The Almighty can do no wrong. |
11For according to the work of a man he will repay him, and according to his ways he will make it befall him. | 11He repays people according to their deeds. He treats people as they deserve. |
12Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice. | 12Truly, God will not do wrong. The Almighty will not twist justice. |
13Who gave him charge over the earth, and who laid on him the whole world? | 13Did someone else put the world in his care? Who set the whole world in place? |
14If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, | 14If God were to take back his spirit and withdraw his breath, |
15all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust. | 15all life would cease, and humanity would turn again to dust. |
16“If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say. | 16“Now listen to me if you are wise. Pay attention to what I say. |
17Shall one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty, | 17Could God govern if he hated justice? Are you going to condemn the almighty judge? |
18who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’ and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’ | 18For he says to kings, ‘You are wicked,’ and to nobles, ‘You are unjust.’ |
19who shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands? | 19He doesn’t care how great a person may be, and he pays no more attention to the rich than to the poor. He made them all. |
20In a moment they die; at midnight the people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away by no human hand. | 20In a moment they die. In the middle of the night they pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand. |
21“For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps. | 21“For God watches how people live; he sees everything they do. |
22There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves. | 22No darkness is thick enough to hide the wicked from his eyes. |
23For God has no need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment. | 23We don’t set the time when we will come before God in judgment. |
24He shatters the mighty without investigation and sets others in their place. | 24He brings the mighty to ruin without asking anyone, and he sets up others in their place. |
25Thus, knowing their works, he overturns them in the night, and they are crushed. | 25He knows what they do, and in the night he overturns and destroys them. |
26He strikes them for their wickedness in a place for all to see, | 26He strikes them down because they are wicked, doing it openly for all to see. |
27because they turned aside from following him and had no regard for any of his ways, | 27For they turned away from following him. They have no respect for any of his ways. |
28so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him, and he heard the cry of the afflicted— | 28They cause the poor to cry out, catching God’s attention. He hears the cries of the needy. |
29When he is quiet, who can condemn? When he hides his face, who can behold him, whether it be a nation or a man?— | 29But if he chooses to remain quiet, who can criticize him? When he hides his face, no one can find him, whether an individual or a nation. |
30that a godless man should not reign, that he should not ensnare the people. | 30He prevents the godless from ruling so they cannot be a snare to the people. |
31“For has anyone said to God, ‘I have borne punishment; I will not offend any more; | 31“Why don’t people say to God, ‘I have sinned, but I will sin no more’? |
32teach me what I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’? | 32Or ‘I don’t know what evil I have done—tell me. If I have done wrong, I will stop at once’? |
33Will he then make repayment to suit you, because you reject it? For you must choose, and not I; therefore declare what you know. | 33“Must God tailor his justice to your demands? But you have rejected him! The choice is yours, not mine. Go ahead, share your wisdom with us. |
34Men of understanding will say to me, and the wise man who hears me will say: | 34After all, bright people will tell me, and wise people will hear me say, |
35‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without insight.’ | 35‘Job speaks out of ignorance; his words lack insight.’ |
36Would that Job were tried to the end, because he answers like wicked men. | 36Job, you deserve the maximum penalty for the wicked way you have talked. |
37For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.” | 37For you have added rebellion to your sin; you show no respect, and you speak many angry words against God.” |
ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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