The Preacher's Bible

Moreover Elihu answered,

²“Hear my words, you wise men. Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.

³For the ear tries words, as the palate tastes food.

⁴Let us choose for us that which is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, God has taken away my right.

⁶Notwithstanding my right I am considered a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without disobedience.’

⁷What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water,

⁸who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men?

⁹For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.’

¹⁰“Therefore listen to me, you men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.

¹¹For the work of a man he will give to him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.

¹²Yes surely, God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert justice.

¹³Who put him in charge of the earth? Or who has appointed him over the whole world?

¹⁴If he set his heart on himself, if he gathered to himself his spirit and his breath,

¹⁵all flesh would perish together, and man would turn again to dust.

¹⁶“If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words.

¹⁷Should even one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,

¹⁸who says to a king, ‘Vile!’ or to nobles, ‘Wicked!’?

¹⁹He doesn’t respect the persons of princes, nor respect the rich more than the poor, for they all are the work of his hands.

²⁰In a moment they die, even at midnight. The people are shaken and pass away. The mighty are taken away without a hand.

²¹“For his eyes are on the ways of a man. He sees all his goings.

²²There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

²³For he doesn’t need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment.

²⁴He breaks mighty men in pieces in ways past finding out, and sets others in their place.

²⁵Therefore he takes knowledge of their works. He overturns them in the night, so that they are destroyed.

²⁶He strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others;

²⁷because they turned away from following him, and wouldn’t pay attention to any of his ways,

²⁸so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him. He heard the cry of the afflicted.

²⁹When he gives quietness, who then can condemn? When he hides his face, who then can see him? He is over a nation or a man alike,

³⁰that the godless man may not reign, that there be no one to ensnare the people.

³¹“For has any said to God, ‘I am guilty, but I will not offend any more.

³²Teach me that which I don’t see. If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?

³³Shall his recompense be as you desire, that you refuse it? For you must choose, and not I. Therefore speak what you know.

³⁴Men of understanding will tell me, yes, every wise man who hears me:

³⁵‘Job speaks without knowledge. His words are without wisdom.’

³⁶I wish that Job were tried to the end, because of his answering like wicked men.

³⁷For he adds rebellion to his sin. He claps his hands among us, and multiplies his words against God.”