The Message Bible MSG
World English Bible WEB
1 Elihu lit into Job again:
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Moreover Elihu answered,
2 "Does this kind of thing make any sense? First you say, 'I'm perfectly innocent before God.'
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"Do you think this to be your right, Or do you say, 'My righteousness is more than God's,'
3 And then you say, 'It doesn't make a bit of difference whether I've sinned or not.'
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That you ask, 'What advantage will it be to you? What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned?'
4 "Well, I'm going to show you that you don't know what you're talking about, neither you nor your friends.
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I will answer you, And your companions with you.
5 Look up at the sky. Take a long hard look. See those clouds towering above you?
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Look to the heavens, and see. See the skies, which are higher than you.
6 If you sin, what difference could that make to God? No matter how much you sin, will it matter to him?
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If you have sinned, what effect do you have against him? If your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
7 Even if you're good, what would God get out of that? Do you think he's dependent on your accomplishments?
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If you are righteous, what do you give him? Or what does he receive from your hand?
8 The only ones who care whether you're good or bad are your family and friends and neighbors. God's not dependent on your behavior.
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Your wickedness may hurt a man as you are; And your righteousness may profit a son of man.
9 "When times get bad, people cry out for help. They cry for relief from being kicked around,
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"By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty.
10 But never give God a thought when things go well, when God puts spontaneous songs in their hearts,
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But none says, 'Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night,
11 When God sets out the entire creation as a science classroom, using birds and beasts to teach wisdom.
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Who teaches us more than the animals of the earth, And makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?'
12 People are arrogantly indifferent to God - until, of course, they're in trouble, and then God is indifferent to them.
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There they cry, but none gives answer, Because of the pride of evil men.
13 There's nothing behind such prayers except panic; the Almighty pays them no mind.
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Surely God will not hear an empty cry, Neither will the Almighty regard it.
14 So why would he notice you just because you say you're tired of waiting to be heard,
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How much less when you say you don't see him. The cause is before him, and you wait for him!
15 Or waiting for him to get good and angry and do something about the world's problems?
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But now, because he has not visited in his anger, Neither does he greatly regard arrogance.
16 "Job, you talk sheer nonsense - nonstop nonsense!"
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Therefore Job opens his mouth with empty talk, And he multiplies words without knowledge."
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.