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35 Moreover Elihu answered,

“Do you think this to be your right,
    or do you say, ‘My righteousness is more than God’s,’
that you ask, ‘What advantage will it be to you?
    What profit will I have, more than if I had sinned?’
I will answer you,
    and your companions with you.
Look to the skies, and see.
    See the skies, which are higher than you.
If you have sinned, what effect do you have against him?
    If your transgressions are multiplied, what do you do to him?
If you are righteous, what do you give him?
    Or what does he receive from your hand?
Your wickedness may hurt a man as you are,
    and your righteousness may profit a son of man.

“By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out.
    They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty.
10 But no one says, ‘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 sky?’
12 There they cry, but no one answers,
    because of the pride of evil men.
13 Surely God will not hear an empty cry,
    neither will the Almighty regard it.
14 How much less when you say you don’t see him.
    The cause is before him, and you wait for him!
15 But now, because he has not visited in his anger,
    neither does he greatly regard arrogance,
16 therefore Job opens his mouth with empty talk,
    and he multiplies words without knowledge.”

35 Then Elihu said:

“Do you think this is just?
    You say, ‘I am in the right,(A) not God.’(B)
Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me,[a]
    and what do I gain by not sinning?’(C)

“I would like to reply to you
    and to your friends with you.
Look up at the heavens(D) and see;
    gaze at the clouds so high above you.(E)
If you sin, how does that affect him?
    If your sins are many, what does that do to him?(F)
If you are righteous, what do you give to him,(G)
    or what does he receive(H) from your hand?(I)
Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself,(J)
    and your righteousness only other people.(K)

“People cry out(L) under a load of oppression;(M)
    they plead for relief from the arm of the powerful.(N)
10 But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker,(O)
    who gives songs(P) in the night,(Q)
11 who teaches(R) us(S) more than he teaches[b] the beasts of the earth
    and makes us wiser than[c] the birds in the sky?’
12 He does not answer(T) when people cry out
    because of the arrogance(U) of the wicked.(V)
13 Indeed, God does not listen to their empty plea;
    the Almighty pays no attention to it.(W)
14 How much less, then, will he listen
    when you say that you do not see him,(X)
that your case(Y) is before him
    and you must wait for him,(Z)
15 and further, that his anger never punishes(AA)
    and he does not take the least notice of wickedness.[d](AB)
16 So Job opens his mouth with empty talk;(AC)
    without knowledge he multiplies words.”(AD)

Footnotes

  1. Job 35:3 Or you
  2. Job 35:11 Or night, / 11 who teaches us by
  3. Job 35:11 Or us wise by
  4. Job 35:15 Symmachus, Theodotion and Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.