Parallel Bible results for "job 34"

Job 34

English Standard Version ESV

1 Then Elihu answered and said:

2 "Hear my words, you wise men, and give ear to me, you who know;

3 for the ear tests words as the palate tastes food.

4 Let us choose what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good.

5 For Job has said, 'I am in the right, and God has taken away my right;

6 in spite of my right I am counted a liar; my wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.'

7 What man is like Job, who drinks up scoffing like water,

8 who travels in company with evildoers and walks with wicked men?

9 For 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.

11 For according to the work of a man he will repay him, and according to his ways he will make it befall him.

12 Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice.

13 Who gave him charge over the earth, and who laid on him the whole world?

14 If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath,

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

16 "If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say.

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

18 who says to a king, 'Worthless one,' and to nobles, 'Wicked man,'

19 who shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?

20 In 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.

22 There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves.

23 For God has no need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment.

24 He shatters the mighty without investigation and sets others in their place.

25 Thus, knowing their works, he overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.

26 He strikes them for their wickedness in a place for all to see,

27 because they turned aside from following him and had no regard for any of his ways,

28 so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him, and he heard the cry of the afflicted--

29 When he is quiet, who can condemn? When he hides his face, who can behold him, whether it be a nation or a man?--

30 that 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;

32 teach me what I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more'?

33 Will he then make repayment to suit you, because you reject it? For you must choose, and not I; therefore declare what you know.

34 Men 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.'

36 Would that Job were tried to the end, because he answers like wicked men.

37 For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God."

The Message Bible MSG

1 Elihu continued:

2 "So, my fine friends - listen to me, and see what you think of this.

3 Isn't it just common sense - as common as the sense of taste -

4 To put our heads together and figure out what's going on here?

5 "We've all heard Job say, 'I'm in the right, but God won't give me a fair trial.

6 When I defend myself, I'm called a liar to my face. I've done nothing wrong, and I get punished anyway.'

7 Have you ever heard anything to beat this? Does nothing faze this man Job?

8 Do you think he's spent too much time in bad company, hanging out with the wrong crowd,

9 So that now he's parroting their line: 'It doesn't pay to try to please God'?

10 "You're veterans in dealing with these matters; certainly we're of one mind on this. It's impossible for God to do anything evil; no way can the Mighty One do wrong.

11 He makes us pay for exactly what we've done - no more, no less. Our chickens always come home to roost.

12 It's impossible for God to do anything wicked, for the Mighty One to subvert justice.

13 He's the one who runs the earth! He cradles the whole world in his hand!

14 If he decided to hold his breath,

15 every man, woman, and child would die for lack of air. God Is Working Behind the Scenes

16 "So, Job, use your head; this is all pretty obvious.

17 Can someone who hates order, keep order? Do you dare condemn the righteous, mighty God?

18 Doesn't God always tell it like it is, exposing corrupt rulers as scoundrels and criminals?

19 Does he play favorites with the rich and famous and slight the poor? Isn't he equally responsible to everybody?

20 Don't people who deserve it die without notice? Don't wicked rulers tumble to their doom? When the so-called great ones are wiped out, we know God is working behind the scenes.

21 "He has his eyes on every man and woman. He doesn't miss a trick.

22 There is no night dark enough, no shadow deep enough, to hide those who do evil.

23 God doesn't need to gather any more evidence; their sin is an open-and-shut case.

24 He deposes the so-called high and mighty without asking questions, and replaces them at once with others.

25 Nobody gets by with anything; overnight, judgment is signed, sealed, and delivered.

26 He punishes the wicked for their wickedness out in the open where everyone can see it,

27 Because they quit following him, no longer even thought about him or his ways.

28 Their apostasy was announced by the cry of the poor; the cry of the afflicted got God's attention. Because You Refuse to Live on God's Terms

29 "If God is silent, what's that to you? If he turns his face away, what can you do about it? But whether silent or hidden, he's there, ruling,

30 so that those who hate God won't take over and ruin people's lives.

31 "So why don't you simply confess to God? Say, 'I sinned, but I'll sin no more.

32 Teach me to see what I still don't see. Whatever evil I've done, I'll do it no more.'

33 Just because you refuse to live on God's terms, do you think he should start living on yours? You choose. I can't do it for you. Tell me what you decide.

34 "All right-thinking people say - and the wise who have listened to me concur -

35 'Job is an ignoramus. He talks utter nonsense.'

36 Job, you need to be pushed to the wall and called to account for wickedly talking back to God the way you have.

37 You've compounded your original sin by rebelling against God's discipline, Defiantly shaking your fist at God, piling up indictments against the Almighty One."