Moff JOB Chapter 34

16 

Pray understand this,

listen to my lesson:

17 

Can one opposed to justice govern?

Would you denounce the strong God and the just,

18 

who tells a king he is a knave,

tells nobles they are villains,

19 

who never favours princes,

never prefers rich men to poor?

All are his handiwork,

20 

and suddenly, at midnight, they are dead!

Rich men are torn away,

the mighty disappear mysteriously,

21 

for God’s eye is on human life,

he watches every step that a man takes;

22 

there is no darkness, there are no black shadows,

where evildoers can ever hide.

23 

God has not to fix sessions,

in order to bring men to justice;

24 

shatters mighty men without a trial,

and leaves their place to other men;

25 

he overturns them in the night,

because he marks what they are doing;

26 

he breaks the villains in his wrath,

and strikes them down before the world,

27 

because they swerved from following his lead,

reckless of all his rules,

28 

till wails reached him from the oppressed,

and cries from the forlorn came to his ears.

29 

If he did nothing, who would dare denounce him?

Were he indifferent, who dare blame him?--

though he does watch over men and nations,

that none may reign who would beguile the people.

31 

No, tell God: ‘Now that I have suffered,

I will offend no more;

32 

teach me what I am blind to,

and, if I sinned, I will not sin again.’

33 

Leave him to deal with you, as he may please;

are you to choose the terms, not God?

34 

Say what you like,

but thinking men will say with me,

any wise man who hears me will agree,

35 

that Eyob has been speaking thoughtlessly,

his words are void of wisdom.

36 

Oh that the trials of Eyob might continue,

for his impious replies!

37 

He adds rebellion to his guilt,

by heaping scornful blasphemies on God.”

35 Elihu went on:

2 

“Is it fair, think you--

call this your ‘rights before God’?--

3 

to ask, ‘What do I gain,

what good is it to me, if I sin not?’

4 

Well, I will answer you,

you and your friends.

5 

Look up to heaven, on Mgh,

behold the skies above;

6 

how can your sin injure God?

What are your many misdeeds to Mm?

7 

Your innocence--is that a gain to him?

Can you be any benefit to Mm?

8 

Your guilt affects men like yourself,

your innocence is man’s concern alone.

16 

Eyob argues idly,

lavishing words thoughtlessly;

10 

he never asks, ‘Where is God my Maker,

who gives men songs of gladness in the night,

11 

who grants us better knowledge than the beasts,

more wisdom than the birds?'

13 

God will not listen to an idle outcry,

the Almighty will not heed it-—

14 

as when you say you ‘cannot see him’!

Hush! only wait for him.

15 

But now, because his anger does not strike,

he is not serious about sin, you say!”

36 Then Elihu continued:

2 

“One moment I will soon convince you:

there is still something to be said for God!

3 

I will now justify my Creator

from a wide survey of the truth.

4 

Truly it is no false plea that I urge;

here stands a man whose insight is unerring!

5 

The stubborn God disdains,

6 

he will not spare the wicked,

he rights those who are 'wronged,

and gives the just their due;