GOD IS THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE
Key verse: 12
NIV
34 Then Elihu said:
2 “Hear my words, you wise men;
listen to me,(A) you men of learning.
3 For the ear tests words
as the tongue tastes food.(B)
4 Let us discern for ourselves what is right;(C)
let us learn together what is good.(D)
5 “Job says, ‘I am innocent,(E)
but God denies me justice.(F)
6 Although I am right,
I am considered a liar;(G)
although I am guiltless,(H)
his arrow inflicts an incurable wound.’(I)
7 Is there anyone like Job,
who drinks scorn like water?(J)
8 He keeps company with evildoers;
he associates with the wicked.(K)
9 For he says, ‘There is no profit
in trying to please God.’(L)
10 “So listen to me,(M) you men of understanding.(N)
Far be it from God to do evil,(O)
from the Almighty to do wrong.(P)
11 He repays everyone for what they have done;(Q)
he brings on them what their conduct deserves.(R)
12 It is unthinkable that God would do wrong,(S)
that the Almighty would pervert justice.(T)
13 Who appointed(U) him over the earth?
Who put him in charge of the whole world?(V)
14 If it were his intention
and he withdrew his spirit[a](W) and breath,(X)
15 all humanity would perish(Y) together
and mankind would return to the dust.(Z)
16 “If you have understanding,(AA) hear this;
listen to what I say.(AB)
17 Can someone who hates justice govern?(AC)
Will you condemn the just and mighty One?(AD)
18 Is he not the One who says to kings, ‘You are worthless,’
and to nobles,(AE) ‘You are wicked,’(AF)
19 who shows no partiality(AG) to princes
and does not favor the rich over the poor,(AH)
for they are all the work of his hands?(AI)
20 They die in an instant, in the middle of the night;(AJ)
the people are shaken and they pass away;
the mighty are removed without human hand.(AK)
21 “His eyes are on the ways of mortals;(AL)
he sees their every step.(AM)
22 There is no deep shadow,(AN) no utter darkness,(AO)
where evildoers can hide.(AP)
23 God has no need to examine people further,(AQ)
that they should come before him for judgment.(AR)
24 Without inquiry he shatters(AS) the mighty(AT)
and sets up others in their place.(AU)
25 Because he takes note of their deeds,(AV)
he overthrows them in the night(AW) and they are crushed.(AX)
26 He punishes them for their wickedness(AY)
where everyone can see them,
27 because they turned from following him(AZ)
and had no regard for any of his ways.(BA)
28 They caused the cry of the poor to come before him,
so that he heard the cry of the needy.(BB)
29 But if he remains silent,(BC) who can condemn him?(BD)
If he hides his face,(BE) who can see him?
Yet he is over individual and nation alike,(BF)
30 to keep the godless(BG) from ruling,(BH)
from laying snares for the people.(BI)
31 “Suppose someone says to God,
‘I am guilty(BJ) but will offend no more.
32 Teach me what I cannot see;(BK)
if I have done wrong, I will not do so again.’(BL)
33 Should God then reward you on your terms,
when you refuse to repent?(BM)
You must decide, not I;
so tell me what you know.
34 “Men of understanding declare,
wise men who hear me say to me,
35 ‘Job speaks without knowledge;(BN)
his words lack insight.’(BO)
36 Oh, that Job might be tested to the utmost
for answering like a wicked man!(BP)
37 To his sin he adds rebellion;
scornfully he claps his hands(BQ) among us
and multiplies his words(BR) against God.”(BS)
Footnotes
- Job 34:14 Or Spirit
Cross references
- Job 34:2 : S Job 32:10
- Job 34:3 : Job 12:11
- Job 34:4 : S Job 12:12; Heb 5:14
- Job 34:4 : 1Th 5:21
- Job 34:5 : S Job 10:7
- Job 34:5 : S Job 6:29
- Job 34:6 : S Job 6:28
- Job 34:6 : S Job 9:21
- Job 34:6 : S Job 6:4; S 10:3; S Jer 10:19
- Job 34:7 : S Job 9:21; S 15:16
- Job 34:8 : S Job 22:15
- Job 34:9 : S Job 9:29-31; S 21:15
- Job 34:10 : Job 32:10
- Job 34:10 : ver 16; S Job 12:12
- Job 34:10 : S Ge 18:25
- Job 34:10 : ver 12; Dt 32:4; Job 8:3; 36:23; Ps 92:15; Ro 3:5; 9:14
- Job 34:11 : S Job 21:31; S Mt 16:27
- Job 34:11 : Jer 17:10; 32:19; Eze 33:20
- Job 34:12 : S ver 10; Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18
- Job 34:12 : S Job 8:3; Ps 9:16; Col 3:25; 2Th 1:6
- Job 34:13 : Heb 1:2
- Job 34:13 : Job 36:23; 38:4, 6; Isa 40:14
- Job 34:14 : S Ge 6:3
- Job 34:14 : S Nu 16:22; S Job 27:3
- Job 34:15 : S Ge 6:13; La 3:22; Mal 3:6; Jn 3:16
- Job 34:15 : S Ge 2:7; S Job 7:21; 9:22; Ps 90:10
- Job 34:16 : S ver 10
- Job 34:16 : S Job 32:10
- Job 34:17 : ver 30; 2Sa 23:3-4; Pr 20:8, 26; 24:23-25; 28:28
- Job 34:17 : ver 29; S Job 10:7; 40:8; Ro 3:5-6
- Job 34:18 : S Job 12:18
- Job 34:18 : Ex 22:28; Isa 40:24
- Job 34:19 : S Job 13:10; S Ac 10:34
- Job 34:19 : S Lev 19:15; Jas 2:5
- Job 34:19 : S Job 10:3
- Job 34:20 : ver 25; S Ex 11:4; S Job 20:8
- Job 34:20 : S Job 12:19
- Job 34:21 : Jer 32:19
- Job 34:21 : S Job 14:16; Pr 15:3; S Heb 4:13
- Job 34:22 : S Job 3:5
- Job 34:22 : Ps 74:20
- Job 34:22 : S Ge 3:8; S Job 11:20
- Job 34:23 : Ps 11:4
- Job 34:23 : Job 11:11
- Job 34:24 : Isa 8:9; 9:4; Jer 51:20; Da 2:34
- Job 34:24 : Job 12:19
- Job 34:24 : Da 2:21
- Job 34:25 : S Job 11:11
- Job 34:25 : S ver 20
- Job 34:25 : Pr 5:21-23
- Job 34:26 : S Ge 6:5; S Job 8:22; S 28:24; Ps 9:5; Jer 44:5
- Job 34:27 : Ps 14:3
- Job 34:27 : S 1Sa 15:11
- Job 34:28 : S Ex 22:23; S Job 5:15; S 12:19
- Job 34:29 : Ps 28:1; 83:1; 109:1
- Job 34:29 : S ver 17; Ro 8:34
- Job 34:29 : Ps 13:1
- Job 34:29 : Ps 83:18; 97:9
- Job 34:30 : S Job 8:13
- Job 34:30 : S ver 17
- Job 34:30 : Ps 25:15; 31:4; 91:3; 124:7; 140:5; Pr 29:2-12
- Job 34:31 : Ps 51:5; Lk 15:21; Ro 7:24; 1Jn 1:8, 10
- Job 34:32 : Ex 33:13; Job 35:11; 38:36; Ps 15:2; 25:4; 27:11; 51:6; 86:11; 139:23-24; 143:8
- Job 34:32 : Job 33:27; S Lk 19:8
- Job 34:33 : S 2Ki 17:13; Job 33:23; 36:10, 15, 18, 21; 41:11; 42:6; Pr 17:23; Jnh 3:8
- Job 34:35 : Job 35:16; 38:2; 42:3
- Job 34:35 : Job 26:3
- Job 34:36 : S Job 6:29; S 22:15
- Job 34:37 : S Job 27:23
- Job 34:37 : Job 35:16
- Job 34:37 : Job 23:2
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
Elihu Asserts God's Justice
34 Then Elihu answered and said:
2 “Hear my words, you wise men,
and give ear to me, you who know;
3 for (A)the ear tests words
as the palate tastes food.
4 Let us choose (B)what is right;
let us know among ourselves what is good.
5 For Job has said, ‘I am (C)in the right,
and (D)God has taken away my right;
6 in spite of my right I am counted a liar;
my wound is incurable, though I am (E)without transgression.’
7 What man is like Job,
who (F)drinks up scoffing like water,
8 who travels in company with evildoers
and walks (G)with wicked men?
9 For (H)he has said, ‘It profits a man nothing
that he should take delight in God.’
10 “Therefore, hear me, you men of understanding:
far be it from God that he should (I)do wickedness,
and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.
11 For according to (J)the work of a man he will repay him,
and (K)according to his ways he will make it befall him.
12 Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,
and (L)the Almighty will not pervert justice.
13 Who gave him charge over the earth,
and who (M)laid on him[a] the whole world?
14 If he should (N)set his heart to it
and (O)gather to himself his (P)spirit and his breath,
15 all flesh would perish together,
and man would (Q)return to dust.
16 “If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I say.
17 (R)Shall one who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,
18 who (S)says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’
and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’
19 who (T)shows no partiality to princes,
nor regards the rich (U)more than the poor,
for (V)they are all the work of his hands?
20 In a moment (W)they die;
at (X)midnight the people are shaken and pass away,
and the mighty are taken away by (Y)no human hand.
21 “For his eyes are on (Z)the ways of a man,
and he sees all his (AA)steps.
22 There is no (AB)gloom or (AC)deep darkness
where evildoers may hide themselves.
23 For God[b] has no need to consider a man further,
that he should go before God in (AD)judgment.
24 He (AE)shatters the mighty without investigation
and sets (AF)others in their place.
25 Thus, knowing their works,
he (AG)overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.
26 He strikes them for their wickedness
in a place for all to see,
27 because they turned aside from (AH)following him
and had no regard for any of his ways,
28 so that they (AI)caused the cry of the poor to come to him,
and he (AJ)heard the cry of the afflicted—
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?—
30 that a godless man should not reign,
that he should not ensnare the people.
31 “For has anyone said to God,
‘I have borne punishment; I will not offend any more;
32 (AK)teach me what I do not see;
if I have done iniquity, I will do it no more’?
33 Will he then make repayment to suit you,
because you reject it?
For you must choose, and not I;
therefore (AL)declare what you know.[c]
34 Men of understanding will say to me,
and the wise man who hears me will say:
35 ‘Job (AM)speaks without knowledge;
his words are without insight.’
36 Would that Job were tried to the end,
because he answers like wicked men.
37 For he adds rebellion to his sin;
he (AN)claps his hands among us
and multiplies his words against God.”
Footnotes
Cross references
- Job 34:3 : ch. 12:11
- Job 34:4 : 1 Thess. 5:21, 22
- Job 34:5 : See ch. 33:9
- Job 34:5 : ch. 27:2
- Job 34:6 : ch. 33:9
- Job 34:7 : See ch. 15:16
- Job 34:8 : [Ps. 1:1]
- Job 34:9 : ch. 9:22, 23, 30, 31; 21:7, 15; 24:1; [ch. 35:3; Mal. 3:14]
- Job 34:10 : ch. 36:23; Gen. 18:25; Deut. 32:4; 2 Chr. 19:7; Ps. 92:15; Rom. 9:14
- Job 34:11 : Ps. 62:12; Prov. 24:12; Matt. 16:27; Rom. 2:6; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Pet. 1:17; Rev. 22:12
- Job 34:11 : Jer. 17:10; 32:19; Ezek. 33:20
- Job 34:12 : See ch. 8:3
- Job 34:13 : See ch. 38:4-7
- Job 34:14 : [ch. 2:3]
- Job 34:14 : Ps. 104:29; [Ps. 146:4]
- Job 34:14 : ch. 32:8
- Job 34:15 : See ch. 10:9
- Job 34:17 : [Gen. 18:25]
- Job 34:18 : Ex. 22:28
- Job 34:19 : Deut. 10:17; 2 Chr. 19:7; Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:11; Gal. 2:6; Eph. 6:9; Col. 3:25; 1 Pet. 1:17
- Job 34:19 : [James 2:5]
- Job 34:19 : See ch. 31:15
- Job 34:20 : ch. 21:13
- Job 34:20 : Ex. 11:4; [ch. 27:20; 36:20]
- Job 34:20 : Dan. 8:25; [Lam. 4:6]
- Job 34:21 : ch. 14:16; See ch. 31:4
- Job 34:21 : ch. 14:16; See ch. 31:4
- Job 34:22 : [Ps. 139:12; Amos 9:2, 3; Heb. 4:13]
- Job 34:22 : See ch. 3:5
- Job 34:23 : ch. 14:3
- Job 34:24 : Ps. 2:9
- Job 34:24 : See ch. 8:19
- Job 34:25 : Prov. 12:7
- Job 34:27 : 1 Sam. 15:11; Ps. 28:5; Isa. 5:12
- Job 34:28 : ch. 35:9; James 5:4; [Gen. 18:20, 21]
- Job 34:28 : Ex. 3:7; 22:23; Isa. 32:17
- Job 34:32 : ch. 35:11; 36:22; Ps. 19:12; 86:11
- Job 34:33 : ch. 33:32
- Job 34:35 : See ch. 35:16
- Job 34:37 : See ch. 27:23
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
Elihu was not happy with Job. It was because Job, in his own defense, had justified himself rather than God (32:1-2). Here, in Elihu's second speech, he addressed the three friends and then Job. God is the Righteous Judge. He is the standard of justice. Through him we have life, and he governs all life with justice, from the lowest pauper to the highest nobility of this world. His judgment is perfect and flawless. God sees all things. He has the power to punish sin and protect his own, to keep the godless men of this world from crushing the poor and needy. If he is silent, it is by his choice, but he is still ruling with justice.
What can we do when confronted with God’s righteousness and justice? It is tempting to change our behavior—to refrain from offending others or ceasing our wrongdoing—and expect God to reward us. But God does not work on our terms. We are called to more than behavior modification. God wants us. He wants our repentance. We must decide to surrender to God completely and be an acceptable offering for his sake.
Prayer: Lord, you alone are just. Heal my stubborn refusal to repent. Bless me to live in the light of your justice.
One Word: Live under God’s justice