| 1. | Then Eli'hu 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 determine among ourselves what is good.
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| 5. | For Job has said, `I am innocent, 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 goes 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 requite 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 take back his spirit to himself, and gather to himself 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 upon 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 he has not appointed a time for any man to 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 the sight of men,
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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 any one said to God, `I have borne chastisement; 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 requital 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."
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