Moreover Elihu answered and said,
Hear my words, ye wise men;
And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.
For the ear trieth words,
As the palate tasteth food.
Let us choose for us that which is right:
Let us know among ourselves what is good.
For Job hath said, I am righteous,
And God hath taken away my right:
{Or, Should I lie against my right?}Notwithstanding my right I am accounted a liar;
{Hebrew: Mine arrow.}My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.
What man is like Job,
Who drinketh up scoffing like water,
Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity,
And walketh with wicked men?
For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing
That he should {Or, consent with See Psalm 50:18}delight himself with God.
Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding:
Far be it from God, that he should do wickedness,
And from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.
For the work of a man will he render unto him,
And cause every man to find according to his ways.
Yea, of a surety, God will not do wickedly,
Neither will the Almighty pervert justice.
Who gave him a charge over the earth?
Or who hath {Or, laid upon him}disposed the whole world?
{According to another reading, If he cause his heart to return unto himself.}If he set his heart upon {Or, man Hebrew: him.}himself,
If he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath;
All flesh shall perish together,
And man shall turn again unto dust.
{Or, Only understand}If now thou hast understanding, hear this:
Hearken to the voice of my words.
Shall even one that hateth justice govern?
And wilt thou condemn him that is righteous and mighty?—
{The Hebrew as pointed reads, Is it fit to say to a king, Thou art vile? Or, to nobles, Ye are wicked?}Him that saith to a king, Thou art vile,
Or to nobles, Ye are wicked;
That respecteth not the persons of princes,
Nor regardeth the rich more than the poor;
For they all are the work of his hands.
In a moment they die, {Or, and at midnight the people &c.}even at midnight;
The people are shaken and pass away,
And the mighty are taken away without hand.
For his eyes are upon the ways of a man,
And he seeth all his goings.
There is no darkness, nor thick gloom,
Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
For he needeth not further to consider a man,
That he should go before God in judgment.
He breaketh in pieces mighty men {Or, without inquisition}in ways past finding out,
And setteth others in their stead.
Therefore he taketh knowledge of their works;
And he overturneth them in the night, so that they are {Hebrew: crushed.}destroyed.
He striketh them as wicked men
{Hebrew: In the place of beholders.}In the open sight of others;
Because they turned aside from following him,
And would not have regard in any of his ways:
{Or, That they might cause…And that he might hear}So that they caused the cry of the poor to come unto him,
And he heard the cry of the afflicted.
When he giveth quietness, who then can condemn?
And when he hideth his face, who then can behold him?
Alike whether it be done unto a nation, or unto a man:
That the godless man reign not,
That there be none to ensnare the people.
For hath any said unto God,
I have borne chastisement, {Or, though I offend not}I will not offend any more:
That which I see not teach thou me:
If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more?
Shall his recompense be as thou wilt, that thou refusest it?
For thou must choose, and not I:
Therefore speak what thou knowest.
Men of understanding will say unto me,
Yea, every wise man that heareth me:
Job speaketh without knowledge,
And his words are without wisdom.
Would that Job were tried unto the end,
Because of his answering like wicked men.
For he addeth rebellion unto his sin;
He clappeth his hands among us,
And multiplieth his words against God.
Querverweise zu Hiob 34,36 Hiob 34,36
For God hath made my heart faint,And the Almighty hath terrified me;
Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity,And walketh with wicked men?
Thou hast proved my heart; thou hast visited me in the night;Thou hast tried me, and {Or, findest no evil purpose in me; My mouth &c.}findest nothing;I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothingThat he should {Or, consent with See Psalm 50:18}delight himself with God.
Examine me, O Jehovah, and prove me;Try my {Hebrew: reins.}heart and my mind.
The tents of robbers prosper,And they that provoke God are secure; {Or, That bring their god to their hand}Into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.
Behold, we call them blessed that endured: ye have heard of the {Or, endurance}patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, how that the Lord is full of pity, and merciful.
Wherefore do the wicked live,Become old, yea, wax mighty in power?
{Or, Why is it, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, That they who know him see not his days? }Why are times not laid up by the Almighty?And why do not they that know him see his days?