Chapter 34

¹ And Elius continued, and said,

² Hear me, ye wise men; hearken, ye that have knowledge. ³ For the ear tries words, and the mouth tastes meat. ⁴ Let us choose judgment to ourselves: let us know amount ourselves what is right. ⁵ For Job has said, I am righteous: the Lord has removed my judgment. ⁶ And he has ¹erred in my judgment: my ²wound is severe without unrighteousness of mine.

⁷ What man is as Job, drinking scorning like water? ⁸ saying, ³I have not sinned, nor committed ungodliness, nor had fellowship with workers of iniquity, to go with the ungodly. ⁹ For thou shouldest not say, There shall be no visitation of a man, whereas there is a visitation on him from the Lord.

¹⁰ Wherefore hear me, ye that are wise in heart: far be it from me to sin before the Lord, and to ⁴pervert righteousness before the almighty. ¹¹ Yea, he renders to a man accordingly as each of them does, and in a man's path he will find him.

¹² And thinkest thou that the Lord will do wrong, or will the Almighty who made the earth wrest judgment? ¹³ And who is he that made the whole world under heaven, and all things therein? ¹⁴ For if he would confine, and restrain his spirit with himself; ¹⁵ all flesh would die together, and every mortal would return to the earth, whence also he was formed.

¹⁶ Take heed lest he rebuke thee: hear this, hearken to the voice of words. ¹⁷ Behold then the one that hates iniquities, and that destroys the wicked, who is for ever just.

¹⁸ He is ungodly that says to a king, Thou art a transgressor, that says to princes, O most ungodly one. ¹⁹ Such a one as would not reverence the face of an honourable man, neither knows how to give honour to the great, so as that their persons should be respected. ²⁰ But it shall turn out vanity to them, to cry and beseech a man; for they dealt unlawfully, the poor being

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turned aside from their right. ²¹ For ⁵he surveys the works of men, and nothing of what they do has escaped him. ²² Neither shall there be a place for the workers of iniquity to hide themselves. ²³ For he will not ⁶lay upon a man more than right. ²⁴ For the Lord looks down upon all men, who comprehends unsearchable things, glorious also and excellent things without number. ²⁵ Who discovers their works, and will bring night about upon them, and they shall be brought low. ²⁶ And he quite destroys the ungodly, for they are seen before him. ²⁷ Because they turned aside from the law of God, and did not regard his ordinances, ²⁸ so as to bring before him the cry of the needy; for he will hear the cry of the poor.

²⁹ And he will give quiet, and who will condemn? and he will hide his face, and who shall see him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man also: ³⁰ causing a hypocrite to be king, because of the waywardness of the people.

³¹ For there is one that says to the Mighty One, I have received blessings; I will not take a pledge: ³² I will see apart from myself: do thou shew me if I have done unrighteousness; I will not do so any more. ³³ Will he take vengeance for it on thee, whereas thou wilt put it far from thee? for thou shalt choose, and not I; and what thou knowest, speak thou. ³⁴ Because the wise in heart shall say this, and a wise man listens to my word. ³⁵ But Job has not spoken with understanding, his words are not uttered with knowledge. ³⁶ Howbeit do thou learn, Job: no longer make answer as the foolish: ³⁷ that we add not to our sins: for iniquity will be reckoned against us, if we speak many words before the Lord.