# Job 34 
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1. Then Elihu answered and said: 
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2. “Hear my words, you wise men, and give ear to me, you who know; 
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3. for the ear tests words as the palate tastes food. 
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4. Let us choose what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good. 
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5. For Job has said, ‘I am in the right, and God has taken away my right; 
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6. in spite of my right I am counted a liar; my wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’ 
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7. What man is like Job, who drinks up scoffing like water, 
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8. who travels in company with evildoers and walks with wicked men? 
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9. For he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing that he should take delight in God.’ 
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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. 
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11. For according to the work of a man he will repay him, and according to his ways he will make it befall him. 
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12. Of a truth, God will not do wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice. 
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13. Who gave him charge over the earth, and who laid on him the whole world? 
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14. If he should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, 
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15. all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust. 
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16. “If you have understanding, hear this; listen to what I say. 
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17. Shall one who hates justice govern? Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty, 
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18. who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’ and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’ 
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19. who shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands? 
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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. 
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21. “For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps. 
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22. There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves. 
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23. For God has no need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment. 
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24. He shatters the mighty without investigation and sets others in their place. 
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25. Thus, knowing their works, he overturns them in the night, and they are crushed. 
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26. He strikes them for their wickedness in a place for all to see, 
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27. because they turned aside from following him and had no regard for any of his ways, 
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28. so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him, and he heard the cry of the afflicted— 
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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?— 
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30. that a godless man should not reign, that he should not ensnare the people. 
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31. “For has anyone said to God, ‘I have borne punishment; I will not offend any more; 
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32. teach me what I do not see; if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’? 
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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. 
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34. Men of understanding will say to me, and the wise man who hears me will say: 
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35. ‘Job speaks without knowledge; his words are without insight.’ 
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36. Would that Job were tried to the end, because he answers like wicked men. 
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37. For he adds rebellion to his sin; he claps his hands among us and multiplies his words against God.” 

(ESV)