Jun 7 - Job 33-35
Job
1"But now, hear my speech, O Job, and listen to all my words.2Behold, I open my mouth; the tongue in my mouth speaks.3My words declare the uprightness of my heart, and what my lips know they speak sincerely.4The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.5Answer me, if you can; set your words in order before me; take your stand.6Behold, I am toward God as you are; I too was pinched off from a piece of clay.7Behold, no fear of me need terrify you; my pressure will not be heavy upon you.8"Surely you have spoken in my ears, and I have heard the sound of your words.9You say, 'I am pure, without transgression; I am clean, and there is no iniquity in me.10Behold, he finds occasions against me, he counts me as his enemy,11he puts my feet in the stocks and watches all my paths.'12"Behold, in this you are not right. I will answer you, for God is greater than man.13Why do you contend against him, saying, 'He will answer none of man's words'?14For God speaks in one way, and in two, though man does not perceive it.15In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on men, while they slumber on their beds,16then he opens the ears of men and terrifies them with warnings,17that he may turn man aside from his deed and conceal pride from a man;18he keeps back his soul from the pit, his life from perishing by the sword.19"Man is also rebuked with pain on his bed and with continual strife in his bones,20so that his life loathes bread, and his appetite the choicest food.21His flesh is so wasted away that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out.22His soul draws near the pit, and his life to those who bring death.23If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him,24and he is merciful to him, and says, 'Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom;25let his flesh become fresh with youth; let him return to the days of his youthful vigor';26then man prays to God, and he accepts him; he sees his face with a shout of joy, and he restores to man his righteousness.27He sings before men and says: 'I sinned and perverted what was right, and it was not repaid to me.28He has redeemed my soul from going down into the pit, and my life shall look upon the light.'29"Behold, God does all these things, twice, three times, with a man,30to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be lighted with the light of life.31Pay attention, O Job, listen to me; be silent, and I will speak.32If you have any words, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify you.33If not, listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom."
1Then Elihu answered and said:2"Hear my words, you wise men, and give ear to me, you who know;3for the ear tests words as the palate tastes food.4Let us choose what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good.5For Job has said, 'I am in the right, and God has taken away my right;6in spite of my right I am counted a liar; my wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.'7What man is like Job, who drinks up scoffing like water,8who travels in company with evildoers and walks with wicked men?9For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing that he should take delight in God.'10"Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding: far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.11For according to the work of a man he will repay him, and according to his ways he will make it befall him.12Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice.13Who gave him charge over the earth, and who laid on him the whole world?14If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath,15all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust.16"If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say.17Shall one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,18who says to a king, 'Worthless one,' and to nobles, 'Wicked man,'19who shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?20In a moment they die; at midnight the people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away by no human hand.21"For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.22There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves.23For God has no need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment.24He shatters the mighty without investigation and sets others in their place.25Thus, knowing their works, he overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.26He strikes them for their wickedness in a place for all to see,27because they turned aside from following him and had no regard for any of his ways,28so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him, and he heard the cry of the afflicted--29When he is quiet, who can condemn? When he hides his face, who can behold him, whether it be a nation or a man?--30that a godless man should not reign, that he should not ensnare the people.31"For has anyone said to God, 'I have borne punishment; I will not offend any more;32teach me what I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more'?33Will he then make repayment to suit you, because you reject it? For you must choose, and not I; therefore declare what you know.34Men of understanding will say to me, and the wise man who hears me will say:35'Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without insight.'36Would that Job were tried to the end, because he answers like wicked men.37For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God."
1And Elihu answered and said:2"Do you think this to be just? Do you say, 'It is my right before God,'3that you ask, 'What advantage have I? How am I better off than if I had sinned?'4I will answer you and your friends with you.5Look at the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds, which are higher than you.6If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?7If you are righteous, what do you give to him? Or what does he receive from your hand?8Your wickedness concerns a man like yourself, and your righteousness a son of man.9"Because of the multitude of oppressions people cry out; they call for help because of the arm of the mighty.10But none says, 'Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night,11who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?'12There they cry out, but he does not answer, because of the pride of evil men.13Surely God does not hear an empty cry, nor does the Almighty regard it.14How much less when you say that you do not see him, that the case is before him, and you are waiting for him!15And now, because his anger does not punish, and he does not take much note of transgression,16Job opens his mouth in empty talk; he multiplies words without knowledge."