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34:1 |
Then Elihu continued and said,
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34:2 |
"Hear my words, you wise men, And listen to me, you who know.
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34:3 |
"For the ear tests words, As the palate tastes food.
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34:4 |
"Let us choose for ourselves what is right; Let us know among ourselves what is good.
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34:5 |
"For Job has said, 'I am righteous, But God has taken away my right;
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34:6 |
Should I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable, [though I am] without transgression.'
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34:7 |
"What man is like Job, Who drinks up derision like water,
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34:8 |
Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, And walks with wicked men?
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34:9 |
"For he has said, 'It profits a man nothing When he is pleased with God.'
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34:10 |
"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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34:11 |
"For He pays a man according to his work, And makes him find it according to his way.
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34:12 |
"Surely, God will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice.
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34:13 |
"Who gave Him authority over the earth? And who has laid [on Him] the whole world?
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34:14 |
"If He should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath,
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34:15 |
All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.
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34:16 |
"But if [you have] understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words.
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34:17 |
"Shall one who hates justice rule? And will you condemn a righteous mighty one,
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34:18 |
Who says to a king, 'Worthless one,' To nobles, 'Wicked ones';
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34:19 |
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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34:20 |
"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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34:21 |
"For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.
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34:22 |
"There is no darkness or deep shadow Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
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34:23 |
"For He does not [need to] consider a man further, That he should go before God in judgment.
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34:24 |
"He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry, And sets others in their place.
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34:25 |
"Therefore He knows their works, And He overthrows [them] in the night, And they are crushed.
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34:26 |
"He strikes them like the wicked In a public place,
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34:27 |
Because they turned aside from following Him, And had no regard for any of His ways;
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34:28 |
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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34:29 |
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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34:30 |
So that godless men should not rule, Nor be snares of the people.
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34:31 |
"For has anyone said to God, 'I have borne [chastisement]; I will not offend [anymore];
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34:32 |
Teach Thou me what I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more '?
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34:33 |
"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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34:34 |
"Men of understanding will say to me, And a wise man who hears me,
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34:35 |
'Job speaks without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom.
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34:36 |
'Job ought to be tried to the limit, Because he answers like wicked men.
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34:37 |
'For he adds rebellion to his sin; He claps his hands among us, And multiplies his words against God.'"
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