Job 34.3
English standard version

La justice souveraine

¹ Then Elihu answered and said:
² Hear my words, you wise men,
and give ear to me, you who know;
³ for the ear tests words
as the palate tastes food.
⁴ Let us choose what is right;
let us know among ourselves what is good.
⁵ For Job has said, I am in the right,
and God has taken away my right;
⁶ in spite of my right I am counted a liar;
my wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.
⁷ What man is like Job,
who drinks up scoffing like water,
⁸ who travels in company with evildoers
and walks with wicked men?
⁹ For 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 do wickedness,
and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.
¹¹ For according to the work of a man he will repay him,
and according to his ways he will make it befall him.
¹² Of a truth, God will not do wickedly,
and the Almighty will not pervert justice.
¹³ Who gave him charge over the earth,
and who laid on him the whole world?
¹⁴ If he should set his heart to it
and gather to himself his spirit and his breath,
¹⁵ all flesh would perish together,
and man would return to dust.
¹⁶ If you have understanding, hear this;
listen to what I say.
¹⁷ Shall one who hates justice govern?
Will you condemn him who is righteous and mighty,
¹⁸ who says to a king, Worthless one,
and to nobles, Wicked man,
¹⁹ who shows no partiality to princes,
nor regards the rich more than the poor,
for they are all the work of his hands?
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.
²¹ For his eyes are on the ways of a man,
and he sees all his steps.
²² There is no gloom or deep darkness
where evildoers may hide themselves.
²³ For God has no need to consider a man further,
that he should go before God in judgment.
²⁴ He shatters the mighty without investigation
and sets others in their place.
²⁵ Thus, knowing their works,
he 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 following him
and had no regard for any of his ways,
²⁸ so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him,
and he heard the cry of the afflicted&emdash;
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?&emdash;
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 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 declare what you know.
³⁴ Men of understanding will say to me,
and the wise man who hears me will say:
³⁵ Job 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 claps his hands among us
and multiplies his words against God.