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Job 34

Elihu shifts from speaking to Job to addressing "you wise men," inviting them to weigh his argument as the palate tastes food. He pulls up Job's most dangerous line — "It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God" (v.9) — and treats it as the charge to refute. The defense is of God's justice: the One who governs the whole earth cannot pervert it, shows no partiality between prince and pauper, and sees every step a person takes.

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Job 34 (WEB)

1
Moreover Elihu answered,
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“Hear my words, you wise men. Give ear to me, you who have knowledge.
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For the ear tries words, as the palate tastes food.
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Let us choose for us that which is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good.
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For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, God has taken away my right.
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Notwithstanding my right I am considered a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without disobedience.’
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What man is like Job, who drinks scorn like water,
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who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men?
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For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.’
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“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.
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For the work of a man he will give to him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.
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Yes surely, God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert justice.
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Who put him in charge of the earth? Or who has appointed him over the whole world?
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If he set his heart on himself, if he gathered to himself his spirit and his breath,
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all flesh would perish together, and man would turn again to dust.
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“If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words.
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Should even one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,
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who says to a king, ‘Vile!’ or to nobles, ‘Wicked!’?
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He doesn’t respect the persons of princes, nor respect the rich more than the poor, for they all are the work of his hands.
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In a moment they die, even at midnight. The people are shaken and pass away. The mighty are taken away without a hand.
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“For his eyes are on the ways of a man. He sees all his goings.
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There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
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For he doesn’t need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment.
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He breaks mighty men in pieces in ways past finding out, and sets others in their place.
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Therefore he takes knowledge of their works. He overturns them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
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He strikes them as wicked men in the open sight of others;
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because they turned away from following him, and wouldn’t pay attention to any of his ways,
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so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him. He heard the cry of the afflicted.
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When 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,
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that the godless man may not reign, that there be no one to ensnare the people.
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“For has any said to God, ‘I am guilty, but I will not offend any more.
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Teach me that which I don’t see. If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?
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Shall his recompense be as you desire, that you refuse it? For you must choose, and not I. Therefore speak what you know.
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Men of understanding will tell me, yes, every wise man who hears me:
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‘Job speaks without knowledge. His words are without wisdom.’
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I wish that Job were tried to the end, because of his answering like wicked men.
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For he adds rebellion to his sin. He claps his hands among us, and multiplies his words against God.”

Job 34 (RV1909)

1
ADEMÁS respondió Eliú, y dijo:
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Oid, sabios, mis palabras; y vosotros, doctos, estadme atentos.
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Porque el oído prueba las palabras, como el paladar gusta para comer.
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Escojamos para nosotros el juicio, conozcamos entre nosotros cuál sea lo bueno:
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Porque Job ha dicho: Yo soy justo, y Dios me ha quitado mi derecho.
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¿He de mentir yo contra mi razón? Mi saeta es gravosa sin haber yo prevaricado.
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¿Qué hombre hay como Job, que bebe el escarnio como agua?
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Y va en compañía con los que obran iniquidad, y anda con los hombres maliciosos.
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Porque ha dicho: De nada servirá al hombre el conformar su voluntad con Dios.
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Por tanto, varones de seso, oidme: Lejos esté de Dios la impiedad, y del Omnipotente la iniquidad.
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Porque él pagará al hombre según su obra, y él le hará hallar conforme á su camino.
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Sí, por cierto, Dios no hará injusticia, y el Omnipotente no pervertirá el derecho.
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¿Quién visitó por él la tierra? ¿y quién puso en orden todo el mundo?
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Si él pusiese sobre el hombre su corazón, y recogiese así su espíritu y su aliento,
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Toda carne perecería juntamente, y el hombre se tornaría en polvo.
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Si pues hay en ti entendimiento, oye esto: escucha la voz de mis palabras.
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¿Enseñorearáse el que aborrece juicio? ¿y condenarás tú al que es tan justo?
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¿Hase de decir al rey: Perverso; y á los príncipes: Impíos?
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¿ Cuánto menos á aquel que no hace acepción de personas de príncipes, ni el rico es de él más respetado que el pobre? porque todos son obras de sus manos.
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En un momento morirán, y á media noche se alborotarán los pueblos, y pasarán, y sin mano será quitado el poderoso.
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Porque sus ojos están sobre los caminos del hombre, y ve todos sus pasos.
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No hay tinieblas ni sombra de muerte donde se encubran los que obran maldad.
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No carga pues él al hombre más de lo justo , para que vaya con Dios á juicio.
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El quebrantará á los fuertes sin pesquisa, y hará estar otros en su lugar.
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Por tanto él hará notorias las obras de ellos, cuando los trastornará en la noche, y serán quebrantados.
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Como á malos los herirá en lugar donde sean vistos:
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Por cuanto así se apartaron de él, y no consideraron todos sus caminos;
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Haciendo venir delante de él el clamor del pobre, y que oiga el clamor de los necesitados.
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Y si él diere reposo, ¿quién inquietará? si escondiere el rostro, ¿quién lo mirará? Esto sobre una nación, y lo mismo sobre un hombre;
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Haciendo que no reine el hombre hipócrita para vejaciones del pueblo.
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De seguro conviene se diga á Dios: Llevado he ya castigo , no más ofenderé:
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Enséñame tú lo que yo no veo: que si hice mal, no lo haré más.
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¿ Ha de ser eso según tu mente? El te retribuirá, ora rehuses, ora aceptes, y no yo: di si no, lo que tú sabes.
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Los hombres de seso dirán conmigo, y el hombre sabio me oirá:
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Que Job no habla con sabiduría, y que sus palabras no son con entendimiento.
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Deseo yo que Job sea probado ampliamente, á causa de sus respuestas por los hombres inicuos.
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Porque á su pecado añadió impiedad: bate las manos entre nosotros, y contra Dios multiplica sus palabras.

Justice that needs no court date

Elihu insists God "doesn't need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment" (v.23) — no investigation is required, because nothing hides in darkness from him. The mighty are broken "in ways past finding out."

His sharpest turn: God hears the cry of the afflicted and topples oppressors precisely so "the godless man may not reign" (v.30). But he ends by accusing Job of adding rebellion to sin, a verdict that, like the friends', presumes the guilt still in question.

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How Job speaks about suffering, protest, patience, limits, and the danger of shallow explanations.

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Wisdom

In Scripture wisdom is less a stockpile of facts than a way of living rightly before God. From Proverbs to James, it begins with the fear of the LORD and shows up in how you treat people and time.

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