Job, 35

1. Elihu spake moreover, and said,

1. Elihu continued and said:

2. Thinkest thou this to be right, [that] thou saidst, My righteousness [is] more than God's?

2. Do you presume you are right and innocent before God,

3. For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? [and], What profit shall I have, [if I be cleansed] from my sin?

3. when you say, "What is it to you, am I doing you harm with my sins?"

4. I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

4. I will answer you and your friends as well.

5. Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds [which] are higher than thou.

5. Look up to the sky and see, gaze at the clouds above.

6. If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or [if] thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

6. If you sin, what is that for God? Do your many offenses hurt him?

7. If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

7. If you are just, what do you give him? or what does he receive from your hand?

8. Thy wickedness [may hurt] a man as thou [art]; and thy righteousness [may profit] the son of man.

8. It's a man like yourself that your sin touches, a son of man that your justice affects.

9. By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make [the oppressed] to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.

9. Men cry out when greatly oppressed; they plead for relief under the tyrant's reign.

10. But none saith, Where [is] God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;

10. But no one says, "Where is God, my Maker, whose songs of jubilation are heard in the night,

11. Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?

11. who teaches us through the beasts of the earth, who makes us wise through the birds of the air?"

12. There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

12. This is why he does not answer when they cry out: because of man's arrogance.

13. Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

13. In vain! God does not listen, the Almighty takes no heed of it.

14. Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, [yet] judgment [is] before him; therefore trust thou in him.

14. How much less then will he listen when you say you do not see him and wait, for your case is before him!

15. But now, because [it is] not [so], he hath visited in his anger; yet he knoweth [it] not in great extremity:

15. And you say that though he is angry he does not know how to punish for he has taken no notice of wickedness.

16. Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge.

16. So Job opens his mouth in empty talk, without knowledge he multiplies words.