New Living Translation | International Standard Version |
1Then Elihu said: | 1Elihu continued speaking, and said: |
2“Listen to me, you wise men. Pay attention, you who have knowledge. | 2"Listen to what I have to say, you wise men! Pay attention to me, you educated people! |
3Job said, ‘The ear tests the words it hears just as the mouth distinguishes between foods.’ | 3Since the ear tests words like a palate tastes food, |
4So let us discern for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good. | 4let's choose what's right for us. Let's consider among ourselves what is good." |
5For Job also said, ‘I am innocent, but God has taken away my rights. | 5Now this is Job's claim: 'Even though I'm innocent, God has stopped treating me righteously. |
6I am innocent, but they call me a liar. My suffering is incurable, though I have not sinned.’ | 6Have I lied concerning the justice that I deserve? My wound is incurable, though transgression cannot be attributed to me.' |
7“Tell me, has there ever been a man like Job, with his thirst for irreverent talk? | 7"What man is like Job, who drinks mockery like water, |
8He chooses evil people as companions. He spends his time with wicked men. | 8traffics in those who practice evil, and walks with wicked people? |
9He has even said, ‘Why waste time trying to please God?’ | 9Because he says, 'There's no profit for a man to find joy with God.'" |
10“Listen to me, you who have understanding. Everyone knows that God doesn’t sin! The Almighty can do no wrong. | 10"Therefore you men of understanding, listen to me! Far be it for God to practice wickedness, or the Almighty to do what is wrong, |
11He repays people according to their deeds. He treats people as they deserve. | 11because he repays a person for his behavior; and according to a person's conduct, he lets it happen to him. |
12Truly, God will not do wrong. The Almighty will not twist justice. | 12Truly, God doesn't practice wickedness, and the Almighty doesn't pervert justice. |
13Did someone else put the world in his care? Who set the whole world in place? | 13Who entrusted the earth to him? Who made him responsible for the entire inhabited world? |
14If God were to take back his spirit and withdraw his breath, | 14If he were to decide to do so, that is, to take back to himself his spirit and breath of life, |
15all life would cease, and humanity would turn again to dust. | 15every living thing would die all at once, and mankind would return to dust." |
16“Now listen to me if you are wise. Pay attention to what I say. | 16If you have understanding, listen to this! Pay attention to what I have to say: |
17Could God govern if he hated justice? Are you going to condemn the almighty judge? | 17Can one who hates justice really govern? And if God is righteous and mighty, can you condemn him? |
18For he says to kings, ‘You are wicked,’ and to nobles, ‘You are unjust.’ | 18Can one say to a king, 'You're vile!' or to nobles, 'You're wicked!'? |
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. | 19Who isn't partial to princes? Who doesn't give preference to the nobles over the poor? Nevertheless, all of them are his handiwork. |
20In a moment they die. In the middle of the night they pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand. | 20"They die suddenly, in the middle of the night; people suffer seizures and pass away; even valiant men can be taken away— and not by human hands. |
21“For God watches how people live; he sees everything they do. | 21Yes, Job, his eyes constantly watch the behavior of human beings; he carefully observes their every step. |
22No darkness is thick enough to hide the wicked from his eyes. | 22There's no such thing as darkness to him— not even deep darkness— that can conceal those who practice evil. |
23We don’t set the time when we will come before God in judgment. | 23He won't examine mankind further, that they would go before God to judgment. |
24He brings the mighty to ruin without asking anyone, and he sets up others in their place. | 24He shatters valiant men without a need to investigate, and he raises others in their place. |
25He knows what they do, and in the night he overturns and destroys them. | 25Thus he acknowledges their behavior, and overcomes them; when night time comes, they are crushed. |
26He strikes them down because they are wicked, doing it openly for all to see. | 26"He strikes the wicked among them in a place where they can be seen |
27For they turned away from following him. They have no respect for any of his ways. | 27because they've abandoned their pursuit of him and had no respect for any of his ways. |
28They cause the poor to cry out, catching God’s attention. He hears the cries of the needy. | 28As a result, the cries of the poor have reached him and he has heard the cry of the afflicted. |
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. | 29"If he remains silent, who will condemn him? If he conceals his face, who can see him? He watches over both nation and individual alike, |
30He prevents the godless from ruling so they cannot be a snare to the people. | 30to keep the godless man from reigning or laying a snare for the people." |
31“Why don’t people say to God, ‘I have sinned, but I will sin no more’? | 31"Has anyone ever really told God, 'I've endured, and I won't act corruptly anymore. |
32Or ‘I don’t know what evil I have done—tell me. If I have done wrong, I will stop at once’? | 32What I don't see, instruct me! If I've done anything evil, I won't repeat it!' |
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. | 33"Should you not be paid back, since you have rejected him? You do the choosing! I won't! Tell us what you know! |
34After all, bright people will tell me, and wise people will hear me say, | 34"Men of understanding, speak to me! Are any of you men wise? Then listen to me! |
35‘Job speaks out of ignorance; his words lack insight.’ | 35Job has been speaking from his own ignorance, and what he has to say lacks insight! |
36Job, you deserve the maximum penalty for the wicked way you have talked. | 36Oh, how Job needs to be given a full court trial, as a rebuke to those who practice evil, |
37For you have added rebellion to your sin; you show no respect, and you speak many angry words against God.” | 37because he has been adding rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us, and keeps on ranting against God." |
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. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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