New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Elihu continued and said:
1
And Elihu made answer and said,
2 "Do you think this to be just? You say, "I am in the right before God.'
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Does it seem to you to be right, and righteousness before God, to say,
3 If you ask, "What advantage have I? How am I better off than if I had sinned?'
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What profit is it to me, and how am I better off than if I had done wrong?
4 I will answer you and your friends with you.
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I will make answer to you and to your friends:
5 Look at the heavens and see; observe the clouds, which are higher than you.
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Let your eyes be turned to the heavens, and lifted up to see the skies; they are higher than you.
6 If you have sinned, what do you accomplish against him? And if your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
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If you have done wrong, is he any the worse for it? and if your sins are great in number, what is it to him?
7 If you are righteous, what do you give to him; or what does he receive from your hand?
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If you are upright, what do you give to him? or what does he take from your hand?
8 Your wickedness affects others like you, and your righteousness, other human beings.
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Your evil-doing may have an effect on a man like yourself, or your righteousness on 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.
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Because the hand of the cruel is hard on them, men are making sounds of grief; they are crying out for help because of the arm of the strong.
10 But no one says, "Where is God my Maker, who gives strength in the night,
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But no one has said, Where is God my Maker, who gives songs in the night;
11 who teaches us more than the animals of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the air?'
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Who gives us more knowledge than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the heaven?
12 There they cry out, but he does not answer, because of the pride of evildoers.
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There they are crying out because of the pride of the evil-doers, but he gives them no answer.
13 Surely God does not hear an empty cry, nor does the Almighty regard it.
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But God will not give ear to what is false, or the Ruler of all take note of it;
14 How much less when you say that you do not see him, that the case is before him, and you are waiting for him!
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How much less when you say that you do not see him; that the cause is before him, and you are waiting for him.
15 And now, because his anger does not punish, and he does not greatly heed transgression,
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And now ... ;
16 Job opens his mouth in empty talk, he multiplies words without knowledge."
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And Job's mouth is open wide to give out what is of no profit, increasing words without knowledge.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.