Job 34-36
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 34
1 Then Elihu answered and said:[a]
2 Hear my discourse, you that are wise;
you that have knowledge, listen to me!
3 For the ear tests words,
as the palate tastes food.(A)
4 Let us choose what is right;
let us determine among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job has said, “I am innocent,
but God has taken away what is my right.(B)
6 I declare the judgment on me to be a lie;
my arrow-wound is incurable, sinless though I am.”(C)
7 What man is like Job?
He drinks in blasphemies like water,
8 Keeps company with evildoers
and goes along with the wicked,
9 When he says, “There is no profit
in pleasing God.”(D)
10 Therefore, you that have understanding, hear me:
far be it from God to do wickedness;
far from the Almighty to do wrong!(E)
11 Rather, he requites mortals for their conduct,
and brings home to them their way of life.(F)
12 Surely, God cannot act wickedly,
the Almighty cannot pervert justice.(G)
13 Who gave him charge over the earth,
or who set all the world in its place?(H)
14 If he were to set his mind to it,
gather to himself his spirit and breath,
15 All flesh would perish together,
and mortals return to dust.(I)
16 Now you[b]—understand, hear this!
Listen to the words I speak!
17 Can an enemy of justice be in control,
will you condemn the supreme Just One,
18 Who says to a king, “You are worthless!”
and to nobles, “You are wicked!”
19 Who neither favors the person of princes,
nor respects the rich more than the poor?
For they are all the work of his hands;(J)
20 in a moment they die, even at midnight.(K)
People are shaken, and pass away,
the powerful are removed without lifting a hand;
21 For his eyes are upon our ways,
and all our steps he sees.
22 There is no darkness so dense
that evildoers can hide in it.
23 For no one has God set a time
to come before him in judgment.
24 Without inquiry he shatters the mighty,(L)
and appoints others in their place,
25 Thus he discerns their works;
overnight they are crushed.
26 [c]Where the wicked are, he strikes them,
in a place where all can see,
27 Because they turned away from him
and did not understand his ways at all:
28 And made the cry of the poor reach him,
so that he heard the cry of the afflicted.
29 If he is silent, who then can condemn?
If he hides his face, who then can behold him,
whether nation or individual?
30 Let an impious man not rule,
nor those who ensnare their people.
31 Should anyone say to God,
“I accept my punishment; I will offend no more;
32 What I cannot see, teach me:
if I have done wrong, I will do so no more,”
33 Would you then say that God must punish,
when you are disdainful?
It is you who must choose, not I;
speak, therefore, what you know.
34 Those who understand will say to me,
all the wise who hear my views:
35 “Job speaks without knowledge,
his words make no sense.(M)
36 Let Job be tested to the limit,
since his answers are those of the impious;
37 For he is adding rebellion to his sin
by brushing off our arguments
and addressing many words to God.”
Chapter 35
1 [d]Then Elihu answered and said:
2 Do you think it right to say,
“I am in the right, not God”?(N)
3 When you ask what it profits you,
“What advantage do I have from not sinning?”(O)
4 I have words for a reply to you[e]
and your friends as well.
5 Look up to the skies and see;
behold the heavens high above you.
6 If you sin, what do you do to God?
Even if your offenses are many, how do you affect him?
7 If you are righteous, what do you give him,
or what does he receive from your hand?(P)
8 Your wickedness affects only someone like yourself,
and your justice, only a fellow human being.
9 In great oppression people cry out;
they call for help because of the power of the great,
10 No one says, “Where is God, my Maker,
who gives songs in the night,
11 Teaches us more than the beasts of the earth,
and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?”
12 Though thus they cry out, he does not answer
because of the pride of the wicked.
13 But it is idle to say God does not hear
or that the Almighty does not take notice.
14 Even though you say, “You take no notice of it,”[f]
the case is before him; with trembling wait upon him.
15 But now that you have done otherwise, God’s anger punishes,
nor does he show much concern over a life.
16 Yet Job to no purpose opens his mouth,
multiplying words without knowledge.(Q)
Chapter 36
1 Elihu continued and said:
2 Wait a little and I will instruct you,
for there are still words to be said for God.
3 I will assemble arguments from afar,
and for my maker I will establish what is right.
4 For indeed, my words are not a lie;
one perfect in knowledge is before you.
5 Look, God is great, not disdainful;
his strength of purpose is great.
He does not preserve the life of the wicked.
6 He establishes the right of the poor;(R)
he does not divert his eyes from the just
7 But he seats them upon thrones
with kings, exalted forever.(S)
8 If they are bound with fetters,
held fast by bonds of affliction,
9 He lets them know what they have done,
and how arrogant are their sins.
10 He opens their ears to correction
and tells them to turn back from evil.
11 If they listen and serve him,
they spend their days in prosperity,
their years in happiness.
12 But if they do not listen, they pass to the grave,
they perish for lack of knowledge.
13 The impious in heart lay up anger;
they do not cry for help when he binds them;
14 They will die young—
their life[g] among the reprobate.
15 But he saves the afflicted through their affliction,
and opens their ears through oppression.
16 [h]He entices you from distress,
to a broad place without constraint;
what rests on your table is rich food.
17 Though you are full of the judgment of the wicked,
judgment and justice will be maintained.
18 Let not anger at abundance entice you,
nor great bribery lead you astray.
19 Will your wealth equip you against distress,
or all your exertions of strength?
20 Do not long for the night,
when peoples vanish in their place.
21 Be careful; do not turn to evil;
for this you have preferred to affliction.
22 [i]Look, God is exalted in his power.
What teacher is there like him?
23 Who prescribes for him his way?
Who says, “You have done wrong”?(T)
24 Remember, you should extol his work,
which people have praised in song.
25 All humankind beholds it;
everyone views it from afar.
26 See, God is great beyond our knowledge,
the number of his years past searching out.
27 He holds in check the waterdrops
that filter in rain from his flood,
28 Till the clouds flow with them
and they rain down on all humankind.
29 [j]Can anyone understand the spreading clouds,
the thunderings from his tent?
30 Look, he spreads his light over it,
it covers the roots of the sea.
31 For by these he judges the nations,
and gives food in abundance.
32 In his hands he holds the lightning,
and he commands it to strike the mark.
33 His thunder announces him
and incites the fury of the storm.
Footnotes
- 34:1 Elihu replies, although no one else has spoken. This connective phrase (see also 35:1 and 36:1) may indicate that these speeches of Elihu are a secondary addition to the book (see note on 32:2).
- 34:16 Now you: Elihu turns to Job and addresses him directly.
- 34:26, 29–30 The extant Hebrew text of these verses is obscure.
- 35:1 See note on 34:1.
- 35:4 A reply to you: Elihu refers to Job’s statement that the innocent suffer as much as the wicked, and especially to Eliphaz’s words in 22:2–3.
- 35:14–15 The text here is uncertain. It seems to indicate that Job should have realized God’s indifference is only apparent, and that, because he has not done so, God will punish him.
- 36:14 Life: a miserable life before death or a shadowy existence in Sheol. Reprobate: cf. Dt 23:18–19.
- 36:16–20 The Hebrew text here is obscure. Although each verse makes some sense, they do not constitute a logical sequence.
- 36:22–25 These verses serve as an introduction to the hymn about the divine marvels, 36:26–37:24, which in some respects anticipates the tone and content of the Lord’s speeches in chaps. 38–41.
- 36:29–31 The translation of these verses is uncertain.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.