Job
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English: New American Standard Bible |
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Job 34 [Commentary]
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Then Elihu continued and said, |
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"Hear my words, you wise men, And listen to me, you who know.
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"For the ear tests words As the palate tastes food.
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"Let us choose for ourselves what is right; Let us know among ourselves what is good.
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"For Job has said, `I am righteous, But God has taken away my right;
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Should I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.'
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"What man is like Job, Who drinks up derision 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 When he is pleased with God.'
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"Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wickedness, And from the Almighty to do wrong.
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"For He pays a man according to his work, And makes him find it according to his way.
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"Surely, God will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice.
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"Who gave Him authority over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world?
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"If He should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath,
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All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.
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"But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.
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"Shall one who hates justice rule? And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,
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Who says to a king, `Worthless one,' To nobles, `Wicked ones';
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Who shows no partiality to princes Nor regards the rich above the poor, For they all are the work of His hands?
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"In a moment they die, and at midnight People are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without a hand.
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"For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.
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"There is no darkness or deep shadow Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
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"For He does not need to consider a man further, That he should go before God in judgment.
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"He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry, And sets others in their place.
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"Therefore He knows their works, And He overthrows them in the night, And they are crushed.
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"He strikes them like the wicked In a public place,
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Because they turned aside from following Him, And had no regard for any of His ways;
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So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him, And that He might hear the cry of the afflicted--
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When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn? And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him, That is, in regard to both nation and man?--
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So that godless men would not rule Nor be snares of the people.
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"For has anyone said to God, `I have borne chastisement; I will not offend anymore;
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Teach me what I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will not do it again'?
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"Shall He recompense on your terms, because you have rejected it? For you must choose, and not I; Therefore declare what you know.
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"Men of understanding will say to me, And a wise man who hears me,
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`Job speaks without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom.
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`Job ought to be tried to the limit, Because he answers 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.' "
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Job 35 [Commentary]
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Then Elihu continued and said, |
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"Do you think this is according to justice? Do you say, `My righteousness is more than God's'?
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"For you say, `What advantage will it be to You? What profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?'
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"I will answer you, And your friends with you.
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"Look at the heavens and see; And behold the clouds--they are higher than you.
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"If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against Him? And if your transgressions are many, what do you do to Him?
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"If you are righteous, what do you give to Him, Or what does He receive from your hand?
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"Your wickedness is for a man like yourself, And your righteousness is for a son of man.
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"Because of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry for help because of the arm of the mighty.
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"But no one says, `Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night,
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Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth And makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?'
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"There they cry out, but He does not answer Because of the pride of evil men.
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"Surely God will not listen to an empty cry, Nor will the Almighty regard it.
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"How much less when you say you do not behold Him, The case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!
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"And now, because He has not visited in His anger, Nor has He acknowledged transgression well,
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So Job opens his mouth emptily; He multiplies words without knowledge."
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NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE
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