Elihu Confirms God’s Justice 1 UEB Moreover, Elihu continued to speak: BSB BSB: Then Elihu continued:
2 UEB "Listen to my words, you wise men; hear me, you who have knowledge. BSB BSB: “Hear my words, O wise men; give ear to me, O men of learning.
3 UEB For the ear tries words as the palate tastes food. BSB BSB: For the ear tests words as the mouth tastes food.
4 UEB Let us choose for ourselves what is just: let us discover among ourselves what is good. BSB BSB: Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good.
5 UEB For Job has said, 'I am righteous, but God has taken away my rights. BSB BSB: For Job has declared, ‘I am righteous, yet God has deprived me of justice.
6 UEB Regardless of my rights, I am considered to be a liar. My wound is incurable, although I am without sin.' BSB BSB: Would I lie about my case? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’
7 UEB What man is like Job, who drinks up mockery like water, BSB BSB: What man is like Job, who drinks up derision like water?
8 UEB who goes around in the company of those who do evil, and who walks with wicked men? BSB BSB: He keeps company with evildoers and walks with wicked men.
9 UEB For he has said, 'It is no use to a person to take pleasure in doing what God wants.' BSB BSB: For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight in God.’
10 UEB So listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness; far be it from the Almighty that he should commit sin. BSB BSB: Therefore listen to me, O men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wrong, and from the Almighty to act unjustly.
11 UEB For he pays back a person's work; he makes every man come upon the reward of his own ways. BSB BSB: For according to a man’s deeds He repays him; according to a man’s ways He brings consequences.
12 UEB Indeed, God does nothing wicked, nor does the Almighty ever pervert justice. BSB BSB: Indeed, it is true that God does not act wickedly, and the Almighty does not pervert justice.
13 UEB Who put him in charge over the earth? Who put the whole world under him? BSB BSB: Who gave Him charge over the earth? Who appointed Him over the whole world?
14 UEB If he ever set his intentions only on himself, and if he ever gathered back to himself his spirit and his breath, BSB BSB: If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath,
15 UEB then all flesh would perish together; mankind would return to dust again. BSB BSB: all flesh would perish together and mankind would return to the dust.
16 UEB If now you have understanding, listen to this; listen to the sound of my words. BSB BSB: If you have understanding, hear this; listen to my words.
17 UEB Can one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn God, who is righteous and mighty? BSB BSB: Could one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn the just and mighty One,
18 UEB God, who says to a king, 'You are vile,' or says to nobles, 'You are wicked'? BSB BSB: who says to kings, ‘You are worthless!’ and to nobles, ‘You are wicked,’
19 UEB God, who does not show favoritism to leaders and does not acknowledge rich people more than poor, for they all are the work of his hands. BSB BSB: who is not partial to princes and does not favor rich over poor? For they are all the work of His hands.
20 UEB In a moment they will die; at midnight people will be shaken and will pass away; mighty people will be taken away, but not by human hands. BSB BSB: They die in an instant, in the middle of the night. The people convulse and pass away; the mighty are removed without human hand.
21 UEB For God's eyes are upon a person's ways; he sees all his steps. BSB BSB: For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step.
22 UEB There is no darkness, no thick gloom where the doers of iniquity may hide themselves. BSB BSB: There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity can hide.
23 UEB For God does not need to examine a person further; there is no need for any person to go before him in judgment. BSB BSB: For God need not examine a man further or have him approach for judgment.
24 UEB He breaks mighty men into pieces for their ways that need no further investigation; he puts others in their places. BSB BSB: He shatters the mighty without inquiry and sets up others in their place.
25 UEB In this way he has knowledge of their deeds; he overthrows these people in the night; they are destroyed. BSB BSB: Therefore, He recognizes their deeds; He overthrows them in the night and they are crushed.
26 UEB In the open sight of others, he kills them for their wicked deeds like criminals BSB BSB: He strikes them for their wickedness in full view,
27 UEB because they turned away from following him and refused to acknowledge any of his ways. BSB BSB: because they turned aside from Him and had no regard for any of His ways.
28 UEB In this way, they made the cry of poor people come to him; he heard the cry of afflicted people. BSB BSB: They caused the cry of the poor to come before Him, and He heard the outcry of the afflicted.
29 UEB When he stays silent, who can condemn him? If he hides his face, who can perceive him? He rules over nation and individual alike, BSB BSB: But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation,
30 UEB so that a godless man may not rule, so that there may be no one to entrap people. BSB BSB: that godless men should not rule or lay snares for the people.
31 UEB Suppose someone says to God, 'I am certainly guilty, but I will not sin any longer; BSB BSB: Suppose someone says to God, ‘I have endured my punishment; I will offend no more.
32 UEB teach me what I cannot see; I have committed sin, but I will do it no longer.' BSB BSB: Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’
33 UEB Do you think that God will punish that person's sin, since you dislike what God does? You must choose, not I. So say what it is that you know. BSB BSB: Should God repay you on your own terms when you have disavowed Him? You must choose, not I; so tell me what you know.
34 UEB Men of understanding will say to me— indeed, every wise man who hears me will say, BSB BSB: Men of understanding will declare to me, and the wise men who hear me will say:
35 UEB 'Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without wisdom.' BSB BSB: ‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words lack insight.’
36 UEB If only Job were put on trial in the smallest details of his case because of his talking like wicked men. BSB BSB: If only Job were tried to the utmost for answering like a wicked man.
37 UEB For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands in mockery in our midst; he piles up words against God." BSB BSB: For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.”
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