Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 You men are so wise, so clever; listen now to what I am saying.
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Moreover Elihu answered,
3 You know good food when you taste it, but not wise words when you hear them.
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For the ear tries words, As the palate tastes food.
4 It is up to us to decide the case.
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Let us choose for us that which is right. Let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 Job claims that he is innocent, that God refuses to give him justice.
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For Job has said, 'I am righteous, God has taken away my right:
6 He asks, "How could I lie and say I am wrong? I am fatally wounded, but I am sinless."
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Notwithstanding my right I am considered a liar; My wound is incurable, though I am without disobedience.'
7 Have you ever seen anyone like this man Job? He never shows respect for God.
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What man is like Job, Who drinks up scoffing like water,
8 He likes the company of evil people and goes around with sinners.
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Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, And walks with wicked men?
9 He says that it never does any good to try to follow God's will.
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For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing That he should delight himself with God.'
10 Listen to me, you men who understand! Will Almighty God do what is wrong?
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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.
11 He rewards people for what they do and treats them as they deserve.
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For the work of a man will he render to him, And cause every man to find according to his ways.
12 Almighty God does not do evil; he is never unjust to anyone.
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Yes surely, God will not do wickedly, Neither will the Almighty pervert justice.
13 Did God get his power from someone else? Did someone put him in charge of the world?
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Who gave him a charge over the earth? Or who has appointed him over the whole world?
14 If God took back the breath of life,
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If he set his heart on himself, If he gathered to himself his spirit and his breath;
15 then everyone living would die and turn into dust again.
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All flesh would perish together, And man would turn again to dust.
16 Now listen to me, if you are wise.
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"If now you have understanding, hear this. Listen to the voice of my words.
17 Are you condemning the righteous God? Do you think that [he ]hates justice?
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Shall even one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty?--
18 God condemns kings and rulers when they are worthless or wicked.
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Who says to a king, 'Vile!' Or to nobles, 'Wicked!'
19 He does not take the side of rulers nor favor the rich over the poor, for he created everyone.
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Who doesn't respect the persons of princes, Nor regards the rich more than the poor; For they all are the work of his hands.
20 We may suddenly die at night. God strikes us down and we perish; he kills the mighty with no effort at all.
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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 hand.
21 He watches every step we take.
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"For his eyes are on the ways of a man, He sees all his goings.
22 There is no darkness dark enough to hide a sinner from God.
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There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
23 God does not need to set a time for us to go and be judged by him.
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For he doesn't need to consider a man further, That he should go before God in judgment.
24 He does not need an investigation to remove leaders and replace them with others.
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He breaks in pieces mighty men in ways past finding out, And sets others in their place.
25 Because he knows what they do; he overthrows them and crushes them by night.
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Therefore he takes knowledge of their works. He overturns them in the night, so that they are destroyed.
26 He punishes sinners where all can see it,
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He strikes them as wicked men In the open sight of others;
27 because they have stopped following him and ignored all his commands.
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Because they turned aside from following him, And wouldn't have regard in any of his ways:
28 They forced the poor to cry out to God, and he heard their calls for help.
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So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him, He heard the cry of the afflicted.
29 If God decided to do nothing at all, no one could criticize him. If he hid his face, we would be helpless.
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When he gives quietness, who then can condemn? When he hides his face, who then can see him? Alike whether to a nation, or to a man:
30 There would be nothing that nations could do to keep godless oppressors from ruling them.
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That the godless man may not reign, That there be no one to ensnare the people.
31 Job, have you confessed your sins to God and promised not to sin again?
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"For has any said to God, 'I am guilty, but I will not offend any more.
32 Have you asked God to show you your faults, and have you agreed to stop doing evil?
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Teach me that which I don't see. If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more'?
33 Since you object to what God does, can you expect him to do what you want? The decision is yours, not mine; tell us now what you think.
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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.
34 Any sensible person will surely agree; and the wise who hear me will say
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Men of understanding will tell me, Yes, every wise man who hears me:
35 that Job is speaking from ignorance and that nothing he says makes sense.
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'Job speaks without knowledge, His words are without wisdom.'
36 Think through everything that Job says; you will see that he talks like an evil man.
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I wish that Job were tried to the end, Because of his answering like wicked men.
37 To his sins he adds rebellion; in front of us all he mocks God.
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For he adds rebellion to his sin. He claps his hands among us, And multiplies his words against God."
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.