3.5 KiB
Elihu Answers That God Will Be Just
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Then Elihu answered and said,
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"Hear my speech, you wise men, And give ear to me, you who know.
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For the ear tests words As the palate tastes food.
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Let us choose for ourselves what is just; Let us know among ourselves what is good.
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For Job has said, 'I am righteous, But God has removed my justice;
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Should I lie concerning my justice? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.'
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What man is like Job, Who drinks up mocking like water,
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But he travels in company with the workers of iniquity, And walks with wicked men?
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For he has said, 'It is of no use to a man When he is pleased with God.'
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"Therefore, listen to me, you men with a heart of wisdom. Far be it from God to do injustice, And from the Almighty to do wrong.
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For He pays a man according to his work, And makes him find it according to his way.
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Truly, God will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice.
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Who appointed Him with authority over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world?
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If He should set His heart on it, If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath,
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All flesh would breathe its last together, And man would return to dust.
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"But if you have understanding, hear this; Give ear to the sound of my speech.
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Shall one who hates justice rule? And will you condemn the righteous mighty One,
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Who says to a king, 'Vile one,' To nobles, 'Wicked ones';
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Who shows no partiality to princes Nor recognizes the rich above the poor, For they all are the work of His hands?
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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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"For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps.
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There is no darkness or shadow of death Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.
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For He does not need to consider a man further, That he should go before God in judgment.
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He breaks in pieces mighty men without searching anything out, And sets others in their place.
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Therefore He recognizes their labors, And He overthrows them in the night, And they are crushed.
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He strikes them like the wicked In a public place,
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Because they turned aside from following Him, And had no insight from any of His ways;
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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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So if He keeps quiet, who then can condemn? So if He hides His face, who then can perceive Him? He is above both nation and man altogether,
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So that godless men would not rule Nor be snares of the people.
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"For has anyone said to God, 'I have borne chastisement; I will not work destructively anymore;
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Instruct me what I do not behold; If I have done injustice, I will not do it again'?
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Shall He repay on your terms, because you have rejected it? For you must choose, and not I; Therefore say what you know.
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Men with a heart of wisdom will say to me, And a wise man who hears me,
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'Job speaks without knowledge, And his words are without insight.
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Job ought to be tested to the limit Because he answers like wicked men.
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For he adds transgression to his sin; He strikes his hands together among us, And multiplies his words against God.'"